


Cranes and Threads

by Shrineart



Series: Senbazuru [2]
Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Consentacles, During Canon, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fun, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Love, Reader-Insert, Romance, Skippable Explicit Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2020-10-03 20:29:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 86,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20459015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shrineart/pseuds/Shrineart
Summary: This is a companion piece to Senbazuru which will have various chapters, scenarios, and scenes from other points of view. Primarily Korosensei's.





	1. Savage Youth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FlumpCat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlumpCat/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860) by [Shrineart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shrineart/pseuds/Shrineart). 

> OKAY, so I got this idea from another fic and had some folks (FlumpCat especially) encouraged me to do it so these are going to be little side stories for Senbazuru. Some of them will be a chapter from Korosensei or another character's point of view. Some might be scenes that Reader isn't present for. Etc.  
It's set during the events of Senbazuru but expands the viewpoints a little.  
[It also has it's own playlist now.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1s5XEJIyP4ICQPKEEHZ4sd?si=g0_KrBSBT2uv1La4-O2CxA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter corresponds to [chapter two of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/46853122).

Karma had certainly raised the gambit with that little trial. Very impressive. He would need to keep an eye on him.

“Mx. Reader you’re bleeding!”

Oh dear. Mx. Reader was standing at the head of the trail. They looked like they’d been through a bit of a tumble, their front smudged with dirt and a gash on their chin. Blood ran down their neck, dripping onto their shirt.

"I saw you fall…" their voice was weak, worried.

Oh… he supposed that he was at fault for that in part.

Karma chuckled, "Oh that? Just another plot against the octopus. He was one step ahead as always… You ran back up the mountain just for me? Aw you shouldn't have." 

"Do not ever pull something like that again, Akabane."

Bloodied, dirty, and clearly in post-panic and their first thought was to warn the student about their behavior.

Impressive.

"Sure thing, teach." Karma sounded amused.

He moved to their side, they needed some reassurance… and perhaps someone to keep them from falling over. They didn’t  _ quite _ look stable on their feet.

"Karma and I have talked about it, Mx. Reader. I'm certain he'll be much more interested in class participation now."

"Might need to patch yourself up before you head home, doc. That cut doesn't look too good."

He watched as Reader seemed to finally realize that they were bleeding. They certainly had been concerned about the boy if they hadn’t even noticed the injury. Running a hand over their face they grimaced as they passed over the wound, “I’ll take care of it.”

They were going to use their sleeve, no need for that. He passed them a handkerchief into their palm gently. They seemed surprised but gave him a nod and pressed it to their chin.

"I'm just glad you're alright, Akabane. But please, no more stunts like that one. I don't know if my heart or my face can take it." their voice sounded weak, exhausted.

Poor thing was certainly having a touch of trouble adjusting. Then again, it was only their second day and Karma’s attempt  _ had been _ a bit extreme.

"I'll try, doc. It's Karma, by the way. Only the main campus assholes call me Akabane."

“Karma, then.” their smile was warm in spite of their injury.

He felt the tiniest of pangs. He’d seen a smile like that before...

"Will you be alright, Mx. Reader?" Nagisa seemed concerned. No need to worry the children any further. Mx. Reader certainly needed a moment of recovery. Time to step in.

"Not to worry. I'll make sure Mx. Readers injury is tended to!" he placed his hand on their shoulder, "You two be careful on your walk home. I think we've seen how dangerous the trail can be today."

"Alright…"

The boys headed down the mountain and he gently steered Mx. Reader towards the school house. He could feel them wobble slightly under his hand. They definitely needed a bit of assistance. Carefully, he brought them into the nurse’s office. 

"Now, Mx. Reader, your actions were admirable but please remember that if you put yourself in danger, then you risk not being able to help our charges at all."

They didn’t look pleased, with him or themselves he wasn’t sure yet.

"I saw him fall and just ran…” ah, it was themself they weren’t pleased with then. “How did you stop him anyhow?" their voice was full of genuine curiosity and relief.

"I caught him of course. One of the many benefits of Mach 20 speed and flight."

Now let’s see… they had put the supplies in the back cabinet from what he could recall. He retrieved them.

He could smell the tang of fear from their panic. They were still adjusting to the classroom and, surprisingly, they were doing better than he expected. When the military had opted to bring in a former civilian paramedic he’d been surprised. A step above the usual for a Health Education teacher but a step below what he’d assumed from the Ministry.

Which meant one of three things. They were also an assassin, they had training he wasn’t unaware of, of the government wasn’t taking the classroom’s health as a priority.

He wasn’t sure which of those outcomes he’d prefer as of yet.

There was certainly something that he needed to address with them though.

"Besides, you let panic do the thinking for you. If the boy had really fallen wouldn't the more prudent idea be to rush to the spot where he fell than the place he leapt from?"

Their face fell. Realization settling in, "...I didn't think of it."

He sat in front of them. "It's very easy to get caught up in a moment."

They certainly were a mess right now. Blood smeared on their chin and running in a few drying lines down their neck. The button up they had on was decorated in drops of blood. 

Reaching up, he took their hand, pulling it from their chin carefully. The coppery scent of fresh blood hit him. Strange to associate it with something so mundane for once, "But it can come with a steep price."

Quickly, he dampened the cloth in the bathroom with a tendril, opening the bandage and ointment. They sat there, staring intently at his face. Sensible. They were curious, they hadn’t been in close proximity to him as of yet. Gently, he wiped the blood from the wound, most likely a rock on the trail. He pressed the cloth into their hand and they worked on cleaning themself up running it along their throat.

Thus far, nothing about them gave him the impression of an assassin. Not a trained one at any rate. One could fake a great many things but the scent of panic was exceptionally difficult.

"There. Thankfully it looked much worse than it was. No stitches required." 

A bandage was now neatly plastered across their chin. He sat back and surveyed his work.

"Please be more careful, Mx. Reader. I don't think our students want to lose another teacher."

Confusion crossed their face for a moment, "Another teacher? They haven't gotten you yet have they?"

Oh…

That’s right…

They didn’t know about her.

No need to share those details.

"That is true. Not quite yet."

“You know, this is kind of my job.” they were running their thumb over his handiwork.

Oh. OH.

Maybe he’d overstepped, “I was just trying to help! You seemed in shock.”

They chuckled. It was a warm sound, the sort that seemed catching. It was lovely.

"You were right. I was… thanks for patching me up."

"You're welcome."

Hm… they were quite the mess even if they seemed to have recovered from the surprise. From what he’d gathered of their personality, they were agreeable but also perhaps a bit reserved. It could, of course, be because of their recent hiring. Should he let them leave for the train of their own accord? Or perhaps…

He stood. Decision made, "Now let's see about getting you home, shall we?"

They got to their feet looking exhausted.

"Your address in your faculty file is current, yes?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it is why?" Bloodied, bandaged, and bouncing back quite well.

If that sort of behavior held up in more trying circumstances then they would make an excellent addition to the classroom.

"I imagine you'll be getting home late if you leave for your train now, so allow me to fly you home."

"What?" He repressed the urge to laugh, their expression was priceless.

“I can fly you home. You’ll get there much faster than the train and with better scenery.”

Hesitation and the opening notes of fear in their scent, stance, expression.

He was willing to bet they would scream the second they were airborne.

“Fly?” 

“Well, yes, I can carry another person with me.” He kept his voice level. Though he certainly could find humor in their anxiousness, if he said something about it now then there was a good chance they would never be willing to fly with him. In this classroom, there was a possibility that it might be a necessity at some point. After all, one never knew what nonsense the Ministry could be cooking up...

Expressions passed over their face in quick succession. Confusion, frustration, exhaustion, and finally grim resolve. They needn’t have worried, he would keep them safe of course.

They pointed at him suddenly, “If you even _ think _ of dropping me the kids will be the last of your worries when it comes to assassination.” 

Oh?

Oh ho ho ho~

Well, that was certainly an  _ interesting  _ response.

“Oh my, Reader was that a threat?! And I thought you were a pacifist!”

They opened their mouth to reply but he certainly wasn’t going to give them the opportunity. No, keeping them off their game would be better for the moment.

Especially since he was still working out their particular motivations in this classroom.

He pulled them into his robes, firmly gripping them around the midsection, shoulders, and legs to keep them secure. He took the moment to give them a quick pat down. No weapons.

_ Interesting… _

Before they had time to adjust to their new surroundings, he rushed out of the schoolhouse and took flight.

Predictably, they screamed.

He chuckled, “You’re perfectly safe, Reader. Think of it like a rollercoaster, but with better company.”

Every muscle his tentacles were wrapped around were taut, tense. Their eyes shut.

After a few minutes, the muscles relaxed.

They must have opened their eyes.

The view was always glorious when he was flying, today was no exception. He glanced down, “See? It’s beautiful.”

Awe echoed through their voice as they replied, not tearing their eyes from the skyline for a second, “It is...”

Charming.

And there, that should be the appropriate location if he remembered his maps right. Which he was certain he had. After all, if his students were in his care he needed to be familiar with their surroundings. He deposited them in front of their building.

They looked like they might fall but recovered. When they looked at him again, it was with a reluctant wonder, “You were right, that was faster than the train… and the view was better.”

Perfect. That’s what he had hoped to hear.

“I’m glad to hear it. Now, rest up! Remember, tomorrow is another day of teaching!”

“I’ll see you then. Thank you.”

He took back up to the skies.

How interesting. They claimed pacifism and made threats. They could function through shock… even if their initial decision had been misguided.

And they didn’t carry a single weapon.

Even military and government officials carried weapons in his presence.

_ Very interesting indeed. _


	2. Consentacles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter corresponds to [chapter four of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/46953379).

He exited the classroom, Irina giving him a dirty look as she took his place.

What an exciting day. He’d gotten to harass an assassin, a particularly  _ lovely _ one at that. Nothing too terrible of course. But a tentacle based massage wasn’t something most people handled easily. The last fellow he’d given one too had been incapacitated for a half hour at least. Though he’d stated later that his shoulder hadn’t worked that well in years. So he had to applaud her for her ability to stand afterwards. 

And the visuals had been  _ quite _ tantalizing. 

“Korosensei, a word?”

Oh? He turned, Reader was following him down the hall.

“Why of course, Mx Reader! Do you mind if we walk and talk? I have some tests to plan.”

They stepped up alongside him. There was a very… determined look on their face. Something hard about the edges and the tiniest undercurrent of… fear? Anxiety perhaps?

They wanted to have a word but they weren’t talking. Perhaps a bit of prodding was in order.

“So,” he said, sliding open the door, “What is it you wanted to talk about?”

“What happened with Irina?”

Irina…? Well, that was a surprise.

The impression you’d gotten from them so far was that they found Irina a bit… frivolous perhaps.

“She attempted to kill me and her plan was terribly executed. So I retaliated.”

“Did you hurt her?”

The edge in their voice was back, sharpened and gleaming. This was a topic of importance to them, clearly. He was taken aback. The image he presented in this classroom was, for the most part, one of relaxed humor. Recent outburst at Terasaka’s group aside of course.

“Reader, I may look like a monster but I assure you I wouldn’t hurt a member of our staff or class.”

They stared at him. Eyes hard and…

Was that a hint of bloodlust? Just the tiniest spark of it in their eyes.

It was a surprise to see. Even more surprising was the beginning notes of anger in their scent and voice. He shrinked back just a bit.

_ “Her clothing was changed.” _

Oh…

OH DEAR!

That wasn’t a belief he could let stand, not in the slightest.

“Nothing untoward happened!”

They didn’t seem moved by his protest.

A gentler touch was needed here, clearly.

“Reader, I would never do  _ anything _ to jeopardize this classroom or the students and faculty in it. Yes, I may enjoy embarrassing would be assassins but I would never do anything to cause  _ harm _ to any of you.”

Expressions shifted across their face. They certainly wanted to believe him, it seemed.

He wouldn’t have blamed them if they didn’t.

Resolve settled on their features and they pointed up at him, “Good. Because if you ever do I might not be able to remain a pacifist. Those tentacles better be consentacles.”

They were trying so hard to be serious but…

Consentacles? Really?

He couldn’t stop himself from chuckling. Their expression was one of instant regret.

Carefully, he reached out, patting their head, “I assure you, Reader. They are consentacles. If I ever prove otherwise I’ll hand you the knife myself.”

“Good.” they sounded almost sulky at having failed in their intimidation.

Cute.

“Well if we’re all done here, I have work to do.” he waved the tests in one hand, “Is that alright?”

They gave a nod and he made his way off to his usual test writing spot. 

Consentacles.

He chuckled to himself. What a word.

But… he supposed that they were correct, perhaps he should be a bit more careful. As a teacher he would rather not have a reputation of assault.

Interesting that they’d come to him alone to address that.

Even most of the military wouldn’t do that.

That was braver than he’d expected.

Quite surprising indeed.


	3. Ain't It Fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a companion chapter to Senbazuru's [Chapter six](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/47070103).

Lunch. The assembly had started up, of course. Perhaps he could check in with Mx. Reader for a moment. After all, they were quite the amicable lunch companion. Not that he disliked his other coworkers, of course, but the opposition of forces naturally caused some stress. He knew what buttons to push with them, how to get under their skin.

Reader, however…

Reader was, in spite of their opposition to the nature of the class, friendly and open. It was fascinating to see. Even more fascinating when it broke down. That tiny hint of bloodlust he’d seen had him curious…

“Mx. Reader, I was-”

Oh…

They weren’t in their office… or the lounge.

He was alone on the mountain. 

Minus one Karma Akabane.

He knew the boy was skipping the assembly and would write him up accordingly, of course, but he could certainly understand why. The discrimination these students faced at this school was, in a word, horrendous.

Of course, so was assassination.

Blades could be wielded many ways and he was coming to realize that teaching was much the same. While the methods at this school were brutal, they produced results. He could understand how one might see that as good.

But they certainly weren’t in line with the lessons he intended to pass on.

And it was a system that she had fought against as well.

He would do his best to give them the chance they deserved.

For _ her _ sake, if nothing else...

So, _ why _ was he hiding up here?

Mind made up, he donned his disguise, jetting down to the assembly hall.

Predictably, his students were already dealing with trouble. They had been purposefully been denied the handouts for the assembly. Well, that was easily fixed. There was plenty of paper in the school after all, he kept a pen on his person (several, actually, he went through ink pens at a ridiculous rate), and the announcer certainly didn’t have the visual acuity to notice that his own copy vanished for a few moments. Handouts copied, he tucked them into the hands of his students, taking his position by Karasuma.

“There you go, Isogai.” he struggled to keep his green stripes from showing through, he heard Karasuma hiss next to him, “That should take care of it, I think. All of you have a copy of the handout now, correct?”

Expressions of relief crossed his students' faces. _ Good. _

“Yes, sir!” Isogai gave him a grin.

“I thought we agreed we couldn’t let the other students see you. What part of ‘state secret’ do you refuse to understand?” Karasuma was angry, naturally.

“Relax. My disguise is flawless. No one suspects a thing.” 

Some would, of course, but people never wanted to believe in the unusual or abnormal. Especially not in this society. They would prefer things be normal and, as a result, most chose not to point out his strangeness.

Human psychology at it’s finest.

Oh, Irina was trying her hand again. He chuckled, watching as she wielded her knife. Karasuma should, perhaps, be _ a bit more _ concerned about her behavior than his appearance. He ducked out of the way, amused as she swung at him. She may as well have not been moving, honestly. Her strikes were _ obnoxiously _ easy to predict.

The students were laughing. Good. Good spirits all around.

Karasuma finally hauled Irina away, lecturing her. Which only left…

Mx. Reader.

They had the most skeptical look on their face.

Adorable.

“Don’t worry, Mx. Reader. It’s me.”

Their expression faltered and they smiled, albeit reluctantly, “I _ know _ it’s you.” 

Their voice carried that same warm humor as their laugh, it was charming.

“I was surprised to see that you’d left campus.” 

They gave a shrug in response, there was a touch of awkwardness to them, “I thought I was supposed to come with.”

“And here I had stopped by to see if you wanted to have lunch together since everyone had left.”

“Lonely up there, huh?” they smirked up at him.

Ah… well, that was _ perceptive _ of them.

“... a bit.” he admitted. 

“Maybe we could see about lunch when we get back?” their suggestion was hopeful.

“An excellent idea. The class will want to eat as well I’m sure.”

Karasuma and Irina’s fighting drew their attention away. They chuckled at the sight. Something about that laugh… he quite enjoyed it.

“We’re… really something.”

“Hm?” 

What did they mean by that exactly?

“This whole classroom.” their voice had a tone to it… they seemed... 

Content. _ Happy _.

_ Thank goodness. _

He chuckled in relief, he’d been hoping they’d start to fit into the classroom. To adjust.

“I do like to think it’s very unique.” 

“It is...seems pretty effective too.” 

Oh, well that was an interesting development given their behavior today indeed. They couldn’t seem to peg him as friend or foe yet.

“Oh? I thought you were worried this morning since you stepped in with Okuda.”

They glanced at him, sidelong, not making direct eye contact, “It was an unconventional approach but the lesson you taught was pretty solid.”

Their praise settled over him in a way that made him nearly giddy. He was beginning to win them over. _ Delightful. _

When the assembly had ended he exited the gymnasium with his fellow coworkers. A few of the main campus teachers gave him confused looks but, over all, it went smoothly.

Just as he’d expected.

That was when he spotted Nagisa. The boy was being approached by two of the main campus students.

It would be easy enough to step in before anything happened. Karasuma had the same idea, apparently, as he spoke up, “This whole stupid system is a travesty.”

“Easy does it.” he didn’t want Karasuma interrupting, this was an opportunity to see how his class was faring among their fellow students, “The boy can handle himself. My students know how to deal with bullies.”

He watched as Nagisa quickly proved him right. The boy threw the other two off with words instead of actions. The students seemed cowed by his response.

Excellent.

He couldn’t prevent the rush of pride, or the green stripes on his face.

“What did I tell you? They have more self-respect than to roll over for a _ bully _.”

“What’s that kid’s problem anyway?” Mx. Reader asked, joining them.

He chuckled, delighted by these developments. This assembly had been _ very _ enlightening so far, “They _ seem _ to be upset that E class is no longer behaving like the punching bag they expect.”

“I think that’s owed, in no small part, to your teaching methods.” Karasuma gave a curt nod as he spoke.

Well, well! Interesting developments _ all around _ today apparently!

“Why Karasuma! Was that a compliment?” 

Karasuma didn’t rise to the bait, “It was a statement.”

“Sounded like a compliment to me.” Reader’s voice was warm with laughter as they gave their surly coworker a bright smile.

Oh that was_ delightful _ . He couldn’t help his grin widening. They _ also _ didn’t mind to push others buttons on occasion.

He’d of course, experienced this with them personally. Their banter was _ quite _ enjoyable.

They were going to be _ fun _.

Karasuma didn’t seem pleased as he turned to leave, “I’ll see you both back at campus.”

“I’d bring him something as a gift for putting up with all of us but I have no idea what he likes.” Reader chuckled, heading up the path.

“A gift for Karasuma?” 

Wait, they didn’t just bring things for _ him? _

“I bring you snacks. Irina apparently wants ice packs. Knowing him he’d probably just want black coffee.” 

Irina’s questionable choice aside, they brought things in for other people?

And here he’d thought he was special.

“I see, so you _ don’t _ just dote on _ me _ then.”

They looked over at him, their reply almost deadpan, “Who said I was doting on you?”

_ What?! _

They walked away.

Oh no they were going to explain that!

He rejoined them, “What else would you call it?!”

“Sharing?” they shrugged, nonchalantly.

He made a face at that. Sharing was nice and all but here he thought they had a rapport going…

They laughed, “Relax, relax. You know you’re my favorite.”

Really? Well then...

“Oh, am I now?”

“Well...I guess...” they drawled looking at him.

His displeasure must have shown because they shook their head, smiling, “I’m just messing with you, Korosensei. You’re definitely the most interesting part of my day.”

_ He was the most interesting part of their day. _

And that smile…

“I do pride myself on being interesting.~”

“So, why are you walking up the mountain anyway? Don’t you normally just” they made a hand motion, “shoot off when things like this are done?”

Oh… he was caught he supposed. The loneliness of this morning had gotten to him and having the company was lovely…

But of course he wasn’t going to just_ say _ that...

“Well, I would still be easily spotted by the students on the main campus.”

“Didn’t stop you at the assembly.” they spoke casually but the challenge was there.

They were calling him out.

“That was different.”

“Not that different.” 

They were _ absolutely _ calling him out.

How adorable.

“I also appreciate the company. I was left all alone up there!”

“Oh, that’s right, I was going to tell you. That disguise is _ terrible. _”

WHAT?!

“I’ll have you know my disguise is perfect!”

For some reason, his offense was met with nothing but laughter.

But he didn’t seem to mind...


	4. 🐙🎓

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter corresponds to [chapter seven of Senbazuru.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/47120392)

Midterm prep appeared to be working wonderfully. His new technique of tutoring class with doubles was going swimmingly. It was a touch difficult and took quite a bit of mental gymnastics on his part, dividing and subdividing his thought process, parsing it into individual words, but he’d become quite proficient at it.

Enough so that perhaps he could hold one more conversation…

He popped over to Reader’s office.

They yelped.

In the flickering moments he was seeing them he watched as their mouth opened, “What-”

“Sorry about that! I just wanted to pop by and see if you wanted me to pick up something for lunch for you. My treat.~”

They were staring at him, clearly baffled.

Adorable.

“Reader?”

“What are you...doing?”

He looked around for a moment, casually, then laughed, “Oh! That. I’m duplicating myself for the children’s study hall.”

“... duplicating yourself?”

“More precisely what you are seeing is an afterimage of myself. I’m using my speed to work one on one with each student. And to ask you about lunch of course.”

There was no harm in taking a  _ little _ pride in his work.

He certainly wasn’t one to _ brag _ after all.

“So you’re, uh… hold on.” they went into the hall for a moment. From the corner of his eye as he tutored the students he could see them peeking into the classroom.

“Does this mean you’re like… doing one word per round with the kids?”

“Yes!” 

They understood.  _ Perfect. _

“So, technically right now you’re holding twenty-six conversations but in like... one-word bursts.”

“Twenty-seven counting this one!”

He had definitely just blown their mind. That’s exactly what that face was. 

He chuckled, “So… lunch?”

“Uh, sure. I’ll just… leave an order at your desk okay?”

“Oh, in that case here!”

He snagged their phone and, between words with the children, entered his information picking a very appropriate name for himself.

🐙🎓

He also took the liberty of saving their number.

“Text me! Anyway, back to the grind!” he went back to work with extra enthusiasm.

Near the end of fourth period, he got a text message.

[Surprise Me.]

_ That _ he could certainly do.

He made his way to the faculty lounge and paused by the door, hearing Nagisa.

“Uh… Professor, could I ask you something?”

“Of course. What's on your mind?”

Oh? He listened, curious as to what the boy could be interested in. To his knowledge, the children were still warming up to their new Health Education teacher and he had yet to hear any of them slip away to their office for a chat.

“Why aren't you trying to kill Korosensei?”

Oh,  _ well now _ , that was especially interesting. It was something he was curious about himself, admittedly, but hadn’t quite felt it was his place to ask as of yet.

_ Thank you, Nagisa. _

“I don't want to take a life.”

That… was the voice of someone who had done just that.

Mx. Reader had _ killed _ before. He was almost  _ certain _ of it.

_ Interesting. _

He doubted that Nagisa would have context for their tone, of course. The boy was perceptive but some things could only be known through experience.

“Aren't you interested in the money? Or saving the Earth?”

Their voice was gentle in response, “Both of those would be nice but that's not within my skill set. I take care of people. I don't harm them.”

He stepped into the room, “I believe the proper statement would be that you have no intention of using your skill set to kill.”

They seemed startled by his sudden appearance. This conversation was an intense one for them apparently.

“As an assassin, your medical expertise would only give you  _ an advantage _ over your target.” he gestured as he spoke.

Their response was uncertain, “I mean...I guess I’d be prepared to patch myself up if I had a run-in with them.”

“Oh, you could do far more than that!  _ Think bigger! _ ” he tapped his head lightly. Surely Reader could grasp what he was getting at with this little lesson...

Nagisa piped up, “With medical training, you'd know the best places to strike.”

“Correct, Nagisa!”

Reader was looking between the two of them. They were clearly still trying to sort things out.

“I suppose that poisoning is also easier…” they said, tentatively, “Or other forms of harm. There’s overdose, air embolism, suffocation, allergen exposure… Historically nurses have been in the best position to kill people.”

_ There it was. _

Perhaps  _ that _ had been their situation. If they were, indeed, an assassin then it was a clever cover. They wouldn’t have any need of weapons if they used the tools of their trade instead.

“Ah yes, correct, Reader.” he sized them up, “While not technically assassins, the method of execution is still viable. If you can work your way into the care of your target then those are  _ exceptional _ methods of assassination!”

“Well, it's not going to be for me. I don't want to kill anyone.” their voice sounded bitter. 

_ Interesting. _

He  _ almost _ believed them.

“And  _ that _ , Reader, is the difference. Your skills are remarkable. You would easily be able to kill someone with them. But you have made a choice, for whatever reason, not to use them in that way. While it is quite contrary to the lessons of this classroom you do have much more to contribute. Don't downplay your skills. Take pride in them! Be an example for our students. They can benefit from your knowledge.”

They were looking at him and back at Nagisa. Their expression shifted from confusion to something like resolve.

“I made it clear to the Ministry of Defense and to Principal Asano that I didn't intend to take part in the assassinations. But I suppose sharing my medical knowledge has more than one use and I would be happy to do so if it would help the children.”

“I'm glad to hear it. Perhaps we can make arrangements for you to teach a class or two.” he chuckled and gave a wave, “Well, I’m off for lunch then!”

He shot out of the room, headed skyward.

So… former paramedic. Had most likely killed before. Medical training.

He hated to disappoint but they would certainly have a good deal of trouble with his morphology. He chuckled to himself. But assassin or not he  _ had _ promised them lunch...

One quick stopover in Italy later and he was on his way back.

When he arrived a veritable storm of papers flew about the room.

Mx. Reader was glaring at him, hands slammed down on their desk.

“I’m going to have to invest in paperweights, aren’t I?”

“That would probably be for the best,” he said apologetically, picking up their papers for them with one hand, his other placing the bag of take-out on the desk.

He passed them their papers before taking a seat, unpacking the food carefully, "I certainly hope this is surprising enough."

He passed them their meal which they opened.

"Carbonara, directly from Italy and-"

OH WAIT! Before they could open the next one he slammed a hand down on it, "You don't have a nut allergy do you?!" 

He was an idiot, he’d completely forgotten the conversation about allergens and medical issues earlier.

"Uh...no?" 

What a relief…

"Alright then." he allowed them to open the container, "Torrone, also from Italy."

They laughed, “It looks amazing. Thank you.”

That laugh… it was absolutely charming.

Irina’s seduction attempts had been amusing, cute, but forced and easy to see through.

Mx. Reader’s laugh, their approach… it was all so  _ genuine _ .

If they  _ were _ an assassin they were certainly top-notch.

"I also took the liberty of picking up drinks." He took out a couple of bottles of Ramune, setting one in front of them, "I've noticed you bringing these in a time or two.~"

"Is this payback for all the snacks I feed you?"

He readied his own meal, "Well, it would be rude not to return the favor…"

“I appreciate it.”

Everything about them indicated that they absolutely meant it.

Including the sound they made when they took their first bite.

He smirked. There was always something satisfying about doing something especially well to surprise another.

"Proud of yourself?" They were giving him a skeptical look.

Well, it seemed they had studied Nagisa's sheet in the time he'd been gone.

"I'm simply happy to see that you are enjoying it."

“So, what’s with the whole...afterimage thing? Like, is it just a new teaching method or?”

“I’m preparing the students for their midterms.”

“Yeah?”

He gave a nod, “I thought someone on one focused study would be beneficial to their grade point average. Doing it all in the same study hall is exceptionally efficient and doesn’t eat away into the time my students could be using on other activities. Like training to kill me for instance!”

“Seen any results yet?”

“I do believe so! Several of them are beginning to tame the more troublesome aspects of the subjects they’re struggling with.”

“Well that’s good.” they took a bite, chewing thoughtfully for a moment, "I could have used a teacher like you in school.”

Couldn't everyone say that? He chuckled to himself, “Well, as educators we are always learning who’s to say you can’t use a teacher like me now?”

That made them laugh.

That laugh would be the death of him...

"I have to admit, your approach is a lot more fun than the way I was taught. I could get used to your method. Minus all the” they gestured awkwardly, “crazy abilities.”

“Well, we can’t all be superhuman.”

There was a moment's pause and he caught them staring at him, “...super  _ human _ ?”

Had he…

Oh dear...

“I mean in the  _ general _ sense, of course.”

They squinted just slightly, and he could practically  _ hear _ the wheels turning in their head.

He would need to be careful around them…

End of the day. The last class had let out and students were making their way out of the building. He stopped by the faculty lounge and heard voices from inside.

Hm...

Another would-be assassin?

He slid the door open in time to hear the end of a conversation, "Pry them apart and reassemble. It’s as easy as that.”

Rubix cube pieces tumbled to the floor at the man's feet.

“Why, Korosensei. It’s an honor.” he smiled.

He knew that kind of smile.

He gave it all too often in his previous life.

This man was dangerous. From the taut expressions on Kurasuma and Mx. Reader's faces he wasn't the only one getting that feeling.

“Apparently this gentleman is supposed to be the principal here.” Irina sounded put out.

“Believe me, he is, which also makes him our boss,” Karasuma said.

BOSS?!

Well, no WONDER he seemed dangerous!

“So good of you to come all this way, sir!” he made the man tea and massaged his shoulders, talking all the while to cover his initial rudeness, "Any chance we could discuss a  _ teensy _ little hike in salary, if I'm not being too forward, of course? I've added a few extra versions of myself to help with the workload an-”

Asano looked up at him cooly and he felt exposed.

This man didn't see him as he was now.

He had a feeling this man cut through all of the changes right to the core of him. 

“Forgive me for not visiting sooner. I meant to pay my respects before now, but one gets sidetracked. Mr. Karasuma and the Ministry of Defense have painted quite the vivid picture of you.” he rose from his seat, looking up into his face. His eyes were intense, his expression calculating.

If he hadn't killed a hundred men like him, he would  _ almost _ be intimidating.

“Yes,  _ vivid indeed _ , though I don't pretend to understand the situation in every particular. Nor do I feel especially qualified to comment. However, I will say this, if I may be so bold. You seem to be torn between embracing the role of savior or villain.”

Given the philosophy of this school couldn't this man say the same of himself?

“But no matter, such things aren't for men like myself to resolve. I'm hardly in a position to save the world. That job I must leave to hands more capable. So barring harm to my school your assassins may deal with you as they will.”

He turned, approaching Karasuma, “I’ve been given plenty of incentive to turn a blind eye.” his hand settled on Karasuma’s shoulder. 

“Thank you for your cooperation.” he gave Asano a small nod.

“That’s a very reasonable attitude, principal. I find that quite  _ attractive _ in a man.” Irina tried her hand at charm.

It seemed well-received as he gave her a small bow, “You flatter me, madam. That said...” he turned, looking back at him before moving to the windowsill, “Though I’m happy to give you carte blanche to do what’s necessary, I must think of the future, should the Earth survive. In other words,” he leaned on the sill, looking at him, “What becomes of my school if Korosensei is assassinated? Not to put too fine a point on it, but E Class must continue to serve its function in the grand scheme of things.”

Serve... 

Its...

Function?

He couldn't prevent the anger from edging into his voice, "Interesting. So rock-bottom grades and students with zero prospects serve a  _ 'function' _ , do they?"

And with that, Asano began to lecture, “Oh, yes. Are you familiar with the so-called Worker Ant Theory? It tells us that in any group, 20 percent will work hard, 20 percent will be idle, and the remaining 60 percent will fall somewhere in between.” he gestured, "Now, imagine a group without a middle ground, where hard workers compromise 95 percent of the population, and layabouts only five. If the lazy worker ants are stigmatized, the ratio is perfectly feasible. Those who under normal circumstances fall into the average category better themselves to avoid being associated with the ostracized class."

His students were meant to be examples.

The logic was sound. The method could work.

But it wasn't what  _ she _ had wanted for them. And it wasn't what he wanted for them either.

"Very logical. And, of course, unless the five percent is kept down, the incentive for the other 95 disappears." He couldn't hide his disdain but did his best to cover it with composed civility.

The man nodded, eyes narrowing just a touch, "Just today I received an alarming complaint from a D Class teacher. It seems a student of yours glared threateningly at two upperclassmen, such that the upperclassmen feared for their lives."

Oh if only they knew…

Of all the children in his class that was the one most appropriate to fear.

"I have no doubt the confidence to do so stems from their attempts to assassinate you. And perhaps that's to be expected. The issue, though, is that an E Class student dared to defy his better. Obviously I cannot let such insolence stand. As his teachers, you are expected to remind the student in question of his place." 

It was a command, not a request.

But he certainly would  _ not _ be reprimanding the boy.

He respected his students too much to do something like that.

Asano moved towards the door and then called back, "Oh, and Korosensei?"

Something was hurtling at him. Silver, flash, it-

"You have one second to solve this puzzle!"

Catching it, he panicked. With preemptive warning, he would have been ready for this but-

"WHAT?! You just spring this on me out of the blue?!"

He struggled, the damn thing was catching on tentacles and itself. How did he get this out again? Dammit, his finger was stuc-

Asano chuckled, "Your speed certainly lives up to the hype. I can see why most attempts on your life would be an exercise in futility. But bear in mind, my friend. In the grand scheme of things, there are many problems for which speed is of no use at all."

This fact was true.

His speed  _ wasn't _ the solution to all problems.

He stilled, irritated. It was as though the man had looked in on his class, seen his efforts this morning, and judged them unworthy. 

That was not something he would let stand 

"Now, if you'll kindly excuse me." 

The Principal left the room, pausing to greet a student at the door.

"Oh. Hi there! I look forward to your midterm results. Best of luck to you."

The scent was familiar under the current smell of floor polish. He was addressing Nagisa.

He heard him head down the hall.

Karasuma spoke, "Essentially, if you teach here there's no getting around his personal vision of order. That goes for us and for you."

It was a frustrating predicament and a scant few months ago he would have simply killed the man and be done with it.

But he was a fellow educator now and, as dubious as the system might be, this man had more experience than he did. There were lessons to be gleaned from his broken organization.

He popped the puzzle apart, much as Asano had done with the Rubix cube.

“Screw that.”

It was Mx. Reader.

“Look they’re brats but they deserve better than that, bullshit.” Irina chipped in.

He pushed himself upright, gathering the bits of pieces of the broken puzzle with care, "Now, Miss Irina, Mx. Reader. As much as it might gall us, Principal Asano's method  _ is _ the standard of this school-"

"I don't care."

He looked at them. They stood, arms crossed in defiance, face grim, “I’m their Health Education teacher. That doesn’t just mean I handle their physical well being. Their emotional and mental well being is just as high a priority for me.”

...strong words for someone potentially here to kill him.

Good acting or genuine concern?

_ Interesting _ .

“I believe we can all agree with that.” he gave a nod of agreement.

“But we’re just supposed to put up with that?”

Bold of them to assume he wouldn't rise to a challenge.

"Sometimes one has to work within the system to incite change.” his grin quirked, just slightly upwards, “The same way an assassin might work their way into a target’s inner circle before taking them out.”

They relaxed, but only slightly.

“Just try not to rock the boat too much. This is Asano’s turf.” Karasuma spoke up, “And it’s in the interest of the government that we keep this whole situation a secret.”

And just like that, any relaxed stance they had was gone.

Good job, Karasuma.

They sighed, "Are we actually going to reprimand Nagisa?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.” he chuckled, there was no need to reprimand the boy, congratulate, perhaps. But not reprimand.

Karasuma nodded, “I don’t think a reprimand is appropriate.”

“Good.” their tone was clipped, irritation bristling through it, “Well, I’m out for the day. Being around that guy made me want a shower.”

And with that, they were out the door.

The next day his students would claim their grades were less important than the assassination attempts.

The next day he would put the fear of  _ God _ into them.


	5. Pinky Swear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter corresponds with [Chapter nine of Senbazuru.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/47132893)

He stood out on the field taking in the view. The students were down at the main campus taking their midterms. He had the utmost belief in them. They were his students of course. A little midterm wouldn't get in the way of their assassination.

Jasmine. He dodged to the side as the knife Irina there sailed harmlessly past him.

She really ought to consider another perfume. With that one, he could smell her coming from a mile away.

“Did you really mean that crap? You're gonna take off if they don't all place in the top 50 on their stupid midterms?!”

Oh, how darling, Irina was _ worried _.

“That’s right.” 

Irina huffed, “Well, way to be unrealistic! These kids have the worst grade-point average in the entire school! Are you nuts?!”

With amusement he pulled out a tissue, “I wonder sometimes. Either way, wherever they've ranked before, they're _ my _ students now. When backed into a corner, the first order of business is assessing your options.”

He reached down, picking up her blade delicately with the tissue. A butterfly alighted on the tip.

“If I've taught them nothing else, I've certainly taught them that.”

“Have you?” 

He paused. Mx. Reader joins the fray...

“Seems like you’re bullying them the same way Asano does. One wrong move and they’re out.” they were standing there, anger made their features hard and taut. He could smell the anger on them.

But stronger, sharper even than the bitterness of anger. Was the strong, running note of sadness and pain

This was _ personal _ to them.

_ Interesting _.

“That might be one way to assess the situation but I assure you, _ my _ students can handle themselves.”

“They’re _ our _ students too.” 

That… wasn't what he'd expected.

Reader's voice was tinged with bitterness. Heavy with the weight of someone carrying a familiar load, "And if you leave we’ll be the ones picking up the pieces.”

“Then perhaps have more faith in them, Reader.”

He headed back inside. His students were more than capable of handling themselves. They had him as a teacher after all. A superior lifeform who could teach at Mach 20!

Something needled him though…

"_And if you leave we’ll be the ones picking up the pieces.” _

Did that mean they intended to remain in this job? Even without the assassination?

Curious.

When the children returned he found himself in a dilemma. He had underestimated the school and overestimated his preparation.

Karasuma was on the phone with the main campus.

“Not to rock the boat, but this is ridiculous. You gotta help me out here. However I look at it, this test seems rigged.”

Even the unflappable Karasuma seemed put out, “The communications flap wasn't on our end, buddy. Besides, what constitutes 'proper notification'? Two days before midterm, you decide to broaden the scope and that's supposed to be enough time for us to cover everything?”

He abruptly hung up.

There was tense silence in the room for a moment. His co-workers were surely wondering what he was doing.

Reader was the only one to speak up, “Now do you get it?”

He caught their eye.

Anger. Pure anger.

It was surprising to him how much it stung…

He left the room silently.

He wasn’t sure if he could face his students.

But he was going to have to.

Entering the classroom, he stood, facing the board, “I take full responsibility. Clearly I underestimated this schools dedication to the status quo. Forgive me if I can’t bear to face you.”

Silence crowded the room before-

He darted to one side as the blade he’d heard slicing through the air thunked harmlessly against the blackboard.

He didn’t blame them for being upset.

“Have it your way.” Karma was approaching him, smiling with that insufferable smile of his, “Keep your back turned if you want. Just make it easier for us to sneak up on you.”

This boy was making light of the situation. As though nothing about what had happened mattered. Irritation at the system coupled with Karma’s smug expression sent him over the edge.

“I AM IN NO MOOD, KARMA! THIS WHOLE SITUATION HAS ME VERY DE-”

Karma smirked, tossing papers on his desk.

“Uh?”

Top… marks. On every single one.

“So they added a few questions to the stupid test, big deal!”

One of his students... 

The class clustered around in awe.

“Your method worked like a charm, Teach. You gave us everything you had and at the moment of truth, _ it mattered _.”

This boy who had been so determined to kill him that he’d tried to take his own life was now standing firm and… praising him.

He felt humbled.

_ Aguri if only you could see them… _

“So what if the midterms decided to cover new territory? I was ready. Don’t worry, though. _ I’m not going anywhere _. You see, this is where I belong. Normal classes have nothing on assassination.”

The boy’s smirk was teetering between smarm and sincerity.

He felt resolve.

“So. Where are you gonna go, huh? Where do you belong?” 

That was a question they had answered for him.

He felt at peace.

“You plan on using the fact we didn’t all make the top 50 as an excuse to tuck your tail and run? ‘Cause you’re not fooling me. I think you’re just scared that one of us is actually gonna kill you.” 

Karma’s tone carried a chuckle.

He felt_ pissed _.

“You could’ve just_ told _ us. Not like we’d blame you for being afraid.” Maehara was smirking now too.

They all were.

Oh dear.

Laughter began to break out.

“Next time, consider being more straightforward with how you feel.” Kataoka was grinning.

Nakamura followed it up, “Even if how you feel is all, _ ‘oh no, I wanna run away’ _!”

These children were going to be the death of him.

In more ways than one by the end of the year.

He yelled in frustration, “NO ONE IS RUNNING AWAY!”

Maehara spoke up, “'Kay. So what's the deal?”

He pointed at Maehara, “The _ deal _ is we get out revenge on this school _ two-fold _ during finals!”

The kids started laughing.

“Children! This is no laughing matter!”

They continued to laugh over him. He continued to yell but…

It didn’t matter.

They were smiling. They were proud.

And so was he.

He wasn’t leaving.

He _ belonged _ here.

He approached Mx. Reader in the lounge. They were busy pouring over paperwork and taking notes, their face wound up in concentration. Carefully, he set a Ramune soda in front of them.

They looked up at him, a hint of surprise ghosting across their features 

“Peace offering?” he sat beside them, hoping the gesture would help.

They continued staring at him. It was an unnerving look, one they got from time to time. A look held a little too long and a touch too intense.

“Reader, I-”

They cut him off, their tone casual, amused, “Man, I didn’t know you were so terrified of a bunch of middle schoolers.”

"I AM NOT AFRAID OF MY STUDENTS!”

They laughed. 

Oh, _ thank God _ . They _ laughed. _

“Not yet, right?”

Maybe they wouldn't stay angry with him, “Not yet indeed.”

“You can’t go running off like that on them.” their voice was soft and hard all at the same time, gentle but with an edge as sharp as a blade, “Or you’re going to have to deal with me.”

He chuckled softly, “You threaten me quite frequently for someone who proclaims to be a pacifist. Perhaps you would like one of these.”

One of his hands reached into a drawer of his desk. Carefully, he retrieved one of the anti-him knives with a tissue. He purposefully slid it across the table to them.

_ What will you do? _

_ Take up the blade? _

_ Finally try your hand? _

He watched them as they-

Picked up the knife and dropped it in the lounge trash can.

…

Well then…

Not what he'd expected at all.

“You keep those in your _ desk _?”

He laughed, “Better there than lodged in me.”

The tiniest of smiles passed over their lips and then they sighed heavily, “I’m serious though. Don’t run off on these kids. Not like that. Making it their fault can really mess with them and they’re already in a bad place.”

They were right.

It was his own hubris that lead him to make the challenge, not the interests of his students. If he left…

They were right.

The students were right.

He belonged here.

“I assure you, Reader, I won’t be abandoning _ our _ students anytime soon.”

They thrust a hand in front of him, pinky outstretched, “Pinky swear.”

He wasn't sure if it was moving or adorable. 

Perhaps it was both.

His hand extended, the furthest tendril hooking their pinky, “I swear, Reader, the only way that I will leave this classroom is with my death.”

They smiled.

_ Oh, that smile… _

Their hand pulled away from his and for half a moment...

He wished it had stayed.

“Good. Besides,” they closed the planner before them, “I might get pissed if you left too.”

Oh?

Interesting indeed.

“Oh, would you now?_ Would you miss me _?”

“I mean you owe me for _ how many _ snacks now?”

_ WHAT?!? _

“THOSE ARE FRIENDLY EXCHANGES!”

“Yeah, yeah, suuuure.” they smirked.

They were so cute when they were up to something…

Did they really mean that about the snacks?

They laughed, a warm gentle sound that settled into his heart, “Relax, I’m not actually keeping a tab.”

It occurred to him, He hadn't actually _ said _ what he meant to say coming here. He should do that…

“Reader. I apologize. My actions upset you and-”

“Apology accepted.” they beamed. But then held up a finger_ "If _ you bring me some more of that torrone tomorrow. It was delicious.”

“Isn’t it?!” his tendrils waved happily.

What followed was a discussion on snacks and international sweets. Relief washed over him and the normalcy of it. They had relaxed, their smile was back, their eyes sparkled…

_ Oh… _

He watched them leave down the mountain, waving to them before taking flight.

_ Oh no… _

He felt lighter than usual…

Everything seemed a bit brighter. More colorful...

_ Oh dear… _

He hadn't expected this…

They were quickly becoming his friend…

And perhaps… on his end... it was something a bit more.

He didn't want to admit that to himself.

Aguri hadn't been that long ago.

He hadn't known them for very long.

But there was something… little moments that struck him. They way they handled the children, their protective instincts, the careful way they were navigating this class.

Even if they were an assassin aiming for a long con… they did seem to _ genuinely _ care.

And kindness, he had found, was _ always _ easy to love.

What was he going to do about _ this _?


	6. The Look

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Chapter 10 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/47200594) from Korosensei's POV.

He was changing for the day. It would be easy to do it at Mach 20 and be done with it but he was caught up in his thoughts and needed a distraction.

So…

He had developed feelings.

Nothing terrible in and of itself. Quite nice, actually.

But…

Well…

To have feelings was one thing. To act on them was quite another.

For the moment he thought it best to wait, to see how things developed. 

While much of his personality was intact from before the experiments there were aspects of him that had changed.

He'd long since given up trying to decide if his love for Aguri had been allowed to form because of these changes.

Perhaps this version of him was prone to lovesickness…

He tied his tie and smoothed it down gently.

The side effect of a more open heart? 

A side effect of weakness?

He wasn't sure.

Either way, the feeling was here and he would need to be careful with it. Control of one's tentacles were linked to emotional state for one. Who knows what sort of trouble  _ that _ could get him into?

For two…

He enjoyed their company.

He'd rather not lose it through any misunderstanding.

He recalled their concerns about Irina.

If he did opt to try to pursue this he would have to tread carefully.

He shrugged on his robes.

In the meantime, there were young minds to mold, lessons to teach, and a school trip to plan for.

He headed to Kununigaoka.

There was laughter from the classroom. He adjusted the case of testing supplies under one arm, opening the door.

Mx. Reader was setting out science equipment, talking to some of the kids and Miss Irina, "I'm fine. It's not really a high priority right now for me."

"What's that, Reader?" He shut the door behind him.

“Oh, it's nothing. Just personal life stuff." they gave an embarrassed smile, waving a hand.

"Apparently, Reader here is committed to being single forever," Irina said, almost pouting.

"You're just saying that cause I won't take your dating tips!" Reader huffed, turning their attention back to their work.

"They're really good!" Irina insisted.

Oh?  _ Interesting.~ _

Kayano was leaning on a desk, squinting skeptically at Reader, "You really don't like  _ anyone _ ?"

"Like I said, it's not a high priority right now. This class is." They smiled.

On one hand, that was charming. On the other hand, part of him was a bit disappointed. 

"Well said, Reader." the attention focused on him, they looked pleased to no longer be the target, "As educators this classroom should be first and foremost in our minds just as our target should be in assassination." oh but he could not resist _ a little _ digging, he looked at them, "That being said  _ you didn't exactly answer the question _ ."

They huffed, "Isn't it best to keep that sort of thing out of the classroom?"

Irina laughed, "I mean if I did that I wouldn't have any examples for teaching the kids."

They gave her a glare and set down another beaker, "You guys know we run a classroom, not a gossip column right?"

Kayano was grinning, leaning forward on the desk, "So who you like is  _ a secret _ then."

"I didn't say I liked  _ anybody _ ." they were beginning to sound exasperated.

He leaned in, amused, "But you also didn't deny it~!" 

"And what about you, Korosensei?" Oh… oh, dear…. They looked up at him, eyes brimming with challenge, "Is there anyone  _ you _ like?"

Ah… ha… _ abort mission. _

"You're deflecting, Reader.~" 

Oh, he did not like that look in their eyes. 

They turned, looking at the students, "I mean isn't that the  _ real  _ question? We know he likes Irina well enough but I bet he's got-"

NOPE.

The bolted out of the room, shooting out the door and up to the roof.

Well… he was certainly going to need to be more careful around them...

When lunch arrived he headed towards the classroom and paused, overhearing conversations from inside.

Oh…

Reader was there…

“You are coming along too, right Mx. Reader?” it was Okuda.

“That’s the plan.”

Kurahashi’s voice piped up, “That’s awesome! We’ll get to travel together!”

“It’s actually going to be my first real sightseeing trip to Kyoto.”

“Whaaaat?” Kayano chirped, “You’ve never been?”

“Well, I’ve passed through before but not really for actual touring,” they replied.

“This is going to be so much fun!” Yada sounded excited, “It’s always nice to see a place through someone else’s eyes for the first time.”

“It is. I’m looking forward to it.” Reader’s voice was soft and fond.

Oh, that…

That was a  _ lovely _ tone.

“Did I hear correctly?” He leaned in the doorway, “You’ve never been to Kyoto, Mx. Reader?”

They looked up and gave a small smile.

Oh, bestill his heart that was _ precious _ .

“Not really. At least not for recreation.”

“Ohhhh! There’s so many foods I’ll have to introduce you to!” He reached behind the podium and picked up one of the copies of the Kyoto guidebook he’d created, laying it on the desk next to them.

They stared at it, baffled, “Wha-What is this?”

“A Guidebook for the School Trip! I made them last night.” he was quite proud of the guidebook, he’d been incredibly thorough.

They stared at him, amazement on their features, “You made this  _ last night _ ?”

“Right? That was our reaction.” Isogai laughed.

The picked up the guidebook, flipping through it, How long is-” they paused, eyes going wide, “One thousand three hundred and forty-four PAGES?!”

He chuckled, looks like that were absolutely priceless, “Of course! I have to make sure my students are well prepared.”

They skimmed pages, pausing to read them out loud, “ Consider the characteristics of each location, so that you can decide on how to have fun and how to kill. ” they leafed through the pages, “ They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and a personal experience is better still. You can only personally experience something at the place itself, so take the chance to learn more about the culture. ”

“See? Very informative!” he waved his tentacles about happily.

“Maybe I can use this after the trip as a paperweight...” They lifted the book with one hand as though testing its weight.

What?

WHAT?!

_ “WHAT?” _

The students broke out into laughter.

“It’s heavy enough!”

“Maybe I’ll do that too!”

_ WHAT?! _

The DISRESPECT!

“Children that is no way to treat the guidebook your Sensei lovingly crafted for you!” 

The children were vicious in their teasing but something about it didn’t get under his skin as badly…

Maybe it was the peals of laughter coming from Reader.

It  _ was _ a lovely sound...


	7. Koi Koi and Kyoto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korosensei's POV on [Chapter 12 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/47581534).

He stepped onto the train. Mx. Reader was giving him a grin from their seat, "Have fun out there?"

Karasuma was, as usual, not pleased, “You were supposed to be _inside_ the train.”

"It was a simple mistake!" he protested.

Oh, what a way to kick off a class trip. He'd missed out on the first leg of the train journey!

At least he had a feeling the snacks he'd bought would be worth it.

He sank into his seat in relief. While hanging onto the side of the train wasn't terrible it was still not the preferable method of travel.

But he'd wanted to be close to the class.

He wiped at his brow with a handkerchief. Hanging onto the side of a train also meant more debris and effort.

“Who knew traveling incognito would be so exhausting? Goodness me.”

A few of the students had clustered around. Clearly they had been concerned and wanted to check on-

Okajima just stared at him, “Might be a little easier if you didn't bring such a big suitcase...”

Or not.

“No offense, but you weird people out as it is.” Kurahashi was leaning in, looking at him.

Nakamura leaned in as well, smirking, “And while we're on the subject, broadcasting that you're in disguise defeats the purpose.”

“Truth? It's a lame disguise anyway. Nobody's buyin' it.” Yada shook her head.

He flinched at the criticism and was about to protest when his false nose popped off, dropping into his lap.

He’d never felt more betrayed by an object before.

“Hye, Korosensei!” It was Sugaya, leaning around one of the seats ahead, “Try these! Can't have your nose going AWOL all the time, right?”

The boy tossed him something small and-

Oh. Incredible.

It was a pair of false noses far better than the one that was currently resting in his lap. Carefully he applied one, trying to arrange it to look natural.

“Wow! A perfect fit!”

“Custom carved to complement the contours of your face, you're welcome. It's whatever, just a little hobby of mine, no big.” Sugaya was smirking back at him.

All of these children were talented and had such potential in them.

He understood why she wanted someone to watch over them.

After a bit more ribbing and some compliments to Sugaya, the children dispersed and he was left to his devices. He glanced at Reader who was currently sitting, head bent low over their journal, face screwed up in concentration.

He chuckled to himself. Adorable.

He looked at the other nose Sugaya had gifted him, trying it on. Might as well make sure both would work before they arrived…

Reader had been pulled away by a few of the children to learn the game of Koi Koi. He’d found himself giving an impromptu history lesson on Kyoto locations. Eventually, the students meandered off to find other things to do.

Perhaps he should see if he could get a bit of res-

That scent...

Spice.

Oh.

He reached out into the aisle, looking up at Reader who had stopped just short of it.

“Yes?”

“I got you something.” he reached into his bag, pulling out one of the items that had made him late to the train.

“Wha-”

“I imagine you haven’t tried Tokyo Banana before.”

“Those are sort of like those banana flavored Twinkies, right?”

“They  _ do _ bear a similarity but I find these to be much more appealing."

He moved his luggage to the floor, offering a seat to them. They perched on the seat next to him, looking over in interest. Carefully, he opened the package and offered it.

They took one and opened it, carefully taking a bite.

Their face was priceless.

He didn’t think that was an expression he’d ever get tired of seeing from them.

He chuckled, “I take it you like it.”

They nodded, “I will never get over the baked goods here. I’ve never had anything like them where I’m from.”

“A lot of care is put into culinary preparation.” he popped one of the cakes into his mouth with a small nod.

“I’ve noticed. Home ec was never this expansive back home. We sorta learned just to wash our hands and make muffins.” They shrugged a bit but on some level, he could tell that bothered them. Perhaps he could bring them in on the Home Ec classes?

Or they might see that as insulting their current skills.

Hm...

“Really, Mx. Reader?” Fuwa had focused her attention on Mx. Reader, a few of the children had.

“Yeah, let’s just say that my education was lax in a few departments. Never went on class trips like this either.” They spoke lightly but there was a certain level of embarrassment there.

Wait-

THEY HADN’T BEEN ON A SCHOOL TRIP?

“Are you telling me you’ve never been on a _ field trip?! _ ” he looked at them in alarm.

They laughed, “No. I’ve been on field trips. But never an overnight stay. My family usually opted out of it. And this is the first time I’ve had the opportunity while working.”

Oh!

Oh… this would definitely be interesting.

“Then this  _ will _ be a treat!”

They nodded, opening another cake, “That’s why I’ve been looking forward to it. Lots of new experiences.”

For both of them.

“Indeed.”

The train ride developed into games of word association and such. Reader had suggested playing Just A Minute but the kids had refused on the grounds that he would always win because he could talk about any topic for a minute straight.

They were right of course.

Near the end of the trip, he was beginning to flag. Mach 20 he could do. An enclosed space moving at 320 kilometers per hour? He was feeling positively ill.

And then a BUS. Which only made it worse.

By the time they had reached the inn, he felt like death.

So, of course, his students were trying to kill him.

He was so proud of them, noticing their target’s weakness.

Such quick learners.

Karasuma went in to make arrangements with the owners and he found a relatively comfortable couch to die on. The children followed.

He checked his bag…

He’d forgotten his favorite pillow.

What a wonderful start.

For now, he needed a moment.

“You’ll probably feel better if you lay down in our room for a while.” Okano swang her knife at him. He easily dodged.

“Perhaps later. I need to pop back over to Tokyo for a moment first. Korosensei forgot his favorite pillow.”

There were protests.

“How is everything you own NOT in that bag?!”

How had  _ they _ packed so unbelievably  _ light?! _

Reader joined him on the couch, “Hey.”

They held out a hand to him with an apologetic smile.

“What is-”

He knew before they answered. The smell was strong.

“Ginger pills. I’m not really sure if they’ll work on you but they work fine for the rest of us with nausea.”

Thank _ goodness _ .

Why hadn’t he thought to pack anything like that?

He accepted them popping them into his mouth. 

Oh, that was infinitely better.

“They take a while to work but they’re-”

He sat up, “Thank you, Mx. Reader.”

They looked annoyed, “You weren’t faking were you?”

He laughed, “No, my body can simply metabolize things faster than yours. One of the many benefits of being a superior lifeform. Now, if you’ll excuse me-”

He took off. The sooner he got to Tokyo and got his pillow the sooner he could get back to the trip.

It was a lovely dinner and an equally lovely evening. He got to play with his students, spy on them, and of course, he got a lovely bath. The children were turning in for the evening but he was still awake. It wasn’t an unusual state of affairs for him.

As he was heading to the rooms he caught a note of spice in the air. He peeked outside. Reader was standing, watching the windows. When their eyes closed, he darted over, close but not too close.

“Reader?”

They opened their eyes. No surprise, no shock, just a small wave, and a smile, “Hey.”

Their eyes were drawn back to the windows where a shadowplay of their students moved across the screens.

He’d seen that look before...

“Fascinating, isn’t it? All of those young minds thirsting for knowledge?”

They nodded, smiling, “They’re all great kids. Probably the best class I’ve handled.”

The moonlight shone on their hair, rimming them in a pale silver lining.

He looked back to the windows, “They certainly are.”

They reached into their pocket and for half a second he tensed to dodg-

Was that a tennis ball?

They tossed it from hand to hand, still watching the kids, 

“You excited about the tours tomorrow?”

“Of course! I can’t wait to see what our students have in store for us.”

Wait a moment-

He snatched the tennis ball as they tossed it, looking at it.

That was _ his _ face.

They had  _ drawn his face on it _ .

He was quite used to putting his face on things but it was interesting that someone else had for once.

Their expression shifted to surprise and he chuckled, holding up the tennis ball, “Do you miss me that much after class, Reader?”

They laughed as they retrieved it from him, “Maybe it’s just fun to toss your head against a wall sometimes!”

How cute.

“So  _ violent!  _ Perhaps you  _ are _ learning a thing or two from our little assassination classroom.”

They shook their head, tossing the ball from hand to hand, “This is hand-eye coordination training. Karasuma suggested it.”

“Ah, yes, improving your physical skills is certainly a must for your position in this class.”

“Well, if Karasuma is planning on teaching them half the things in his lesson book I’m going to have to be ready.”

Interesting. He would have to take a peek at those later. Far be it from him to  _ interfere _ with a fellow teacher’s class but he certainly was curious after that comment.

“A wise decision.”

They yawned, “This place is nice. Surprised it’s considered a budget option.”

Giving a nod, he looked back at the building, “That is common for a place without entirely modern amenities.” 

“I’d say a twelve-course meal and a hot spring makes up for that.” they yawned again, pausing in their tossing.

Adorable.

He reached out, putting a hand on their shoulder.

There was a tinge of sweetness to the air, “Perhaps it’s time to turn in, Mx. Reader. We do have to be up bright and early tomorrow.”

“Sleep does sound good...” their eyes were trained skyward and he could see the pale crescent reflected in them.

A year...

He looked up at the moon as well.

One year…

They moved, secreting the tennis ball back into their pocket.

“Goodnight, Mx. Reader.”

“‘Night, Korosensei. Sweet dreams.” they waved as they headed back into the building.

He turned his eyes skyward again.

One year.

He sighed.

_ If you’re willing to give me your time with the year you have left… _

_ They’re in the dark like you… _

He’d been prepared for that.

He’d been prepared for the end.

He hadn’t been prepared for this feeling.

He chuckled to himself quietly, pulling out a handkerchief to dab at his eyes.

It hadn’t been long…

Not long enough.

He reached up, his hand rubbing at his chest where his tie normally hung.

There were so many feelings he hadn’t expected.

The fondness for the children. His pride in being their teacher. The humility they taught him. The affection towards those working alongside him…

And now this… this strange newness, this affection that was growing outward towards something… someone…

And under it all, that pain…

It ached but…

Without it…

He looked up as the lights began to flicker off in the inn.

Without it, he wouldn’t be  _ here _ .

He wouldn’t be  _ this _ …

What a gift she’d given him.

He made his way back inside.

Once in his futon, he found himself staring at the ceiling. There would definitely be one attempt tonight at least. Karma by the smell of things. The door slid open.

And, as expected-

He flicked a tentacle up, catching the boy’s hand.

“Now, Karma, you wouldn’t want to wake your classmates would you?” he grinned at the boy, squinting.

Karma sighed, “Can’t blame a guy for tryin’.”

“True, but you need sleep for tomorrow’s activities.” he confiscated the knife, “Back to bed with you.” he shooed the boy off with a tentacle.

“Alright, by the way, Teach?” he smirked back at him, “Might wanna hide that magazine a little better.~”

He glanced down, the edge of his latest purchase was peeking from under the edge of the futon. When he looked up to react the boy was waving and heading down the hall, “Night.~”

He shook his head, sliding the door shut.

Looking back to the ceiling, he settled into what accounted for sleep for him. He hadn’t properly slept in the way he had before the change since he’d made himself known to the government. Too much risk in it even if they couldn’t always keep eyes on him.

So instead he’d made adjustments. He didn’t need as much sleep with certain dietary adjustments and the sleep state he entered was not quite the same. He was aware of his surroundings but not entirely alert. It was almost dreamlike. Enough to keep himself safe and sane, thankfully.

He drifted in this state until morning.


	8. Pink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be covering the rest of the Kyoto chapters soon but I really wanted to get this one done. So here 's the accompanying chapter to [Chapter 16 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/47624956).  
Also yes, Reader's notes are full of errors on purpose.

It had been two days.

He shouldn’t be fretting. 

It was only two days…

What could have happened to them in two days?

He was _fretting._

They had called in sick and to his knowledge, they lived alone. Which meant they were most likely the only person taking care of themself. 

He wasn’t fond of that idea.

Perhaps he should stop in.

Also, a visit to their home would make for excellent reconnaissance. 

So he made his way to their apartment. He knocked at the door.

No response.

No need to panic. Maybe they were-

No, he could smell them inside and the TV was playing.

Perhaps they hadn’t heard.

He tapped again.

Now panic was setting in.

What if they were too sick to get to the door?

What if-

No, there was no way. It had only been two days of a _ cold _.

That didn’t ease his concern. 

He picked the lock.

Slipping inside, he shut the door behind him, looking around. It was a typical Japanese apartment. Genkan, hall, bath, closet, washroom, toilet, kitchen… And the living room. From here he could see a pile of distinctly human-shaped blankets on the couch. He approached quietly. Snack packages littered the floor nearby. They were curled under the blankets on their side, practically cocooned. He could just see their forehead, closed eyes, and mussed hair. Their chest rose and fell softly. His concerns were eased.

They looked so tired curled up in their futon. So weak and vulnerable.

There would be so many ways to kill them at this moment.

But that wasn't what he was here for. He was here to care.

But first, a few embarrassing selfies had to be taken of course…

That done, he reached out and gently touched their forehead.

Fever. Hm…

He looked around the apartment.

Dishes were piled up, take out containers littering what little space there was in the kitchen. He peeked into their bedroom. The futon was still out, clothing was strewn about, and it was a general mess.

Well, this wouldn’t do.

He shut off the TV.

First, medicine. He checked the cupboards, taking stock.

Nothing for a cold. Limited supplies in general.

_ Reader, you are a Health Education teacher. Why don’t you know better? _

For half a moment he wondered if it wasn’t because they were an assassin…

But no, even an _ assassin _ would know better than this.

Any assassin worth their salt anyway.

Perhaps Reader simply wasn't a very good one...

Well, looks like he was making a trip. He left, zipping over to the nearest pharmacy to pick up supplies. Then to a grocery. They _ clearly _ needed a proper meal.

When he came back… they were still asleep.

It must be taking a lot out of them.

Well then, time to get started.

First, he cleared away the packages around the couch taking care not to disturb them. Then the take out containers in the kitchen. A quick sort and everything was in the proper recycling bins. Now… 

He equipped himself with a pair of rubber gloves and set to work on the dishes and cleaning the kitchen surfaces. When that was satisfactory he tossed the gloves and placed the chicken into a pot to boil. Then he made his way to the bedroom. He whipped their laundry together, pausing on occasion to chuckle over their shirt choices. They certainly seemed to have a thing for poor English.

_ Charming. _

Into the laundry went the clothes and then back to the bedroom. He tidied the futon.

Warmth and spice.

The whole apartment smelled like it.

Lovely.

Now…

Recon.

He took a peek into the closet first. Standard closet. Clothes. Nothing of particular note.

Not a trace of anti-him agent in the air.

Now that he thought of it…

There wasn't the scent of _ any _ weapons in this apartment.

No gun oil, no gunpowder, no anti-him agent, not even the telltale scent of rubber from the knives…

No poisons either aside from the common household chemical variety.

_ Interesting… _

He checked their bag next. Standard items. Keys, wallet-

Wait… that was their phone on the charger.

Oh _ perfect. _ He casually sent one of the selfies from before to their phone and set it as the background with a chuckle.

Now let’s see... 

Books…

Oh?

Now this book was _ familiar _. He took a seat, reading through it.

_ "Korosensei" - Humanoid octopus? No observable octopus anatomy. Tentacles aren't even similar? _

  * __Moves faster than the human eye can track - Karasuma says Mach 20__
  * _Friendly - has been very welcoming. Seems aware of his appearance’s effect on others. Has been helpful._
  * _Eccentric - observed building sandcastles, making tea, dressing in various odd costumes, and other odd behaviors_
  * _Changes colors? What's that about? Doesn't seem to be camouflage. Is he a mood ring?_

He chuckled to himself. Sooooo this was what this book was for. As he’d suspected.

As he flipped through it, though, he found that wasn’t the only thing they used it for…

_ Student, Karma Akabane, managed to damage Korosensei with bbs and knife used in non-traditional ways. BBs on the floor. The knife cut into small pieces. _

_ Boy THREW HIMSELF OFF A CLIFF. _

_ Off. A. WHOLE. Cliff. _

_ Address this with the Ministry in your notes because if the kids are that desperate then it needs to be discussed. _

_ Korosensei caught the boy and Karma seems to be fine. _

_ Like an idiot I fell and banged myself up running up the mountain. _

_ The ‘octopus’ not only patched me up but he flew me home. _

_ That was terrifying and surreal but… pretty cool actually. _

He stifled a laugh. Karma had certainly made an impression in the classroom and it seems Reader wasn’t exempt from that.

They’d thought the flight was cool…

That delighted him.

_ Korosensei prefers Takenoko No Sato to Kinoko no Yama. Seems really, really passionate about snacks. _

He kept flipping through.

_ New teacher arrived today. Irina Jelavich. She’s something else. An assassin that uses seduction. Not very good with the kids at first. Definitly distracted the octopus. I guess he has a thing for breasts? Is this some interspecies thing? _

_ Not that I’m one to talk with my manga collection. _

OH? He took a moment to zip to their bookshelf. Oh…. oh ho ho ho…

_ Well, Reader, that is a _ ** _surprising_ ** _ amount of monster romance stories you have there… _

Amusing. He went back to their notes, pulling out a pen for editing purposes. He was beginning to note errors...

_ Irina made the mistake of attacking Korosensei with live rounds which, apparently, do nothing to him?? How?????? _

_ I’m starting to think the Ministry isn’t going to get shit out of these notes. What the fuck can I tell them that they don’t already know about this guy??? _

_ Anyway, so he ‘retaliated’ against Irina and it seemed… suspicious. They were alone in the storage shed and when she came out she was in a change of clothes. _

_ Karasuma told me that if he had done something to her there was nothing we could do. _

_ And man, that’s really fucked up? Like I mean it’s pretty much true. No one has been able to stop him from doing anything else but… _

_ Damn. _

_ Both have insisted that nothing happened. Irina seemed dismissive of it. Korosensei seemed horrified at the implication that he might have done anything sexual to her. Weirdly enough, I believe them? _

_ Also fucked up and said consentacles. In a school setting. _

_ End Me. _

He paused for a moment.

He had, of course, considered the fact that his powers gave him the capability to harm without fear of consequences but…

He had no desire to.

He’d made threats and in the moment he’d certainly been angry enough to follow through but…

The feeling faded much faster than it had at the beginning of the year.

_ To perceive weakness in others not to exploit but to protect. _

He looked at one of his hands, flexing the tentacle fingers of it in contemplation.

But keeping up appearances was important for the future. He pushed such thoughts aside and went back to the book in his hand, a few tendrils making quick work of the chicken, parsing out the boiled meat. He put the bones back into the pot and added tapioca pearls and set it to boil taking note of the time.

_ Supplies came in. Military surplus. All of it. Half of it we don’t even NEED. _

_ Note: Irina wants ice packs. Check next shipment for those. If not, pick some up. _

Below was…

That was a budget for the fans they’d purchased for the classroom.

How considerate of them.

_ SO APPARENTLY THE OCTOPUS CAN DRINK POISON AND THAT’S JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN CLASS NOW I GUESS. _

He doubled over, trying not to laugh. He didn’t want to wake them but…

They were…

They were something.

_ Sodium Hydroxide - Sonic the octopus. Blue, spikes, horns. _

_ Thalium Acetate - Green face with wings and horns? _

_ Aqua Regia - White, blank expression. _

_ Has offerred to help one Manami Okuda with _ _ making a better poison to kill him with _ _ . _

_ What the fuck is this job? _

_ Other faces I’ve seen from him: _

_ Purple X - Wrong answer _

_ Red O - Correct answer _

_ Green Stripes - No fucking clue what causes this. _

_ Pink - Not sure. Seems to be at random sometimes. _

There were some supply lists. Seemed they had been marking down what had arrived in shipments. So this book seemed to be something of a catch all for them.

Interesting…

_ Had lunch with the kids. I guess I’m not the only one taking notes. Nagisa Shiota is very interested in anything I might have to share. _

_ No one seems to understand why I might not want to kill someone. It’s bizarre. _

_ The kids are great though. Smart and hilarious. _

_ I hope this isn’t the last year they have left… _

He hoped not as well...

_ Okuda’s poison wasn’t a poison. She gave me a copy of the chemical formula for my notes. Apparently it uh… lets the octopus liquify himself. _

_ Gross. _

_ Fucked up thing? _

_ He used it as a teaching moment about the importance of communication and deception. _

_ The lesson wasn’t a bad one but What The Fuck Is This Class? _

GROSS?!

He huffed to himself. 

_ The more I see of the main school the less I like it. These kids really do get treated like shit. How has no one complained? Also, so far, these kids all have been dropped to E Class for stupid reasons. _

_ The kids seem to be handling main campus better now though. Even Karasuma thinks it’s because of Korosensei. _

_ I have to agree. _

_ Also, okay, so the octopus has human disguises and they’re the worst thing Ive ever seen in my life. I have no idea how anyone is fooled by them. _

_ Korosensei seems easily fooled by faked indifference. Not sure if that’s for real or if he’s just playing around. It is cute though. _

WHAT?!

CUTE?

_ EXCUSE ME?! _

_ Using his super speed he can leave afterimages to give the appearance of being in multiple places at once. Using this he’s capable of holding multiple conversations. From what I can tell it works like this: _

_ He stands before one student and says one word of a sentance. He moves to the next student and says a word in a sentance with that student. _

_ He’s shown to be capable of holding up to 27 conversations at once this way. _

_ I cannot fathom how that works on a mental level. I can barely keep track of my keys and bag in the morning. _

He couldn’t blame them. It was certainly an advanced technique. 

There was a chart of his expressions next. 

_ Had a talk with Nagisa and Korosensei about using medical training to kill. Its weird… _

_ I understand why it might be a useful thing for the students to know… I guess. But its still just so… strange. They both seemed pretty pleased about it. Nagisa also gave me a chart of his expressions. _

_ Now I know what those stupid fucking green stripes mean. _

It took everything in his power not to cackle at that.

_ Korosensei bought lunch for me today which was interesting. It’s kind of wild getting fresh Carbonara and Torrone from Italy on my damn lunch break. _

_ He also mentioned being superhuman. _

_ I haven’t really thought about him maybe being human… _

The following notes were scratched out.

_ Korosensei Theories: _

_ -Alien lifeform _

_ -Bioengineered creature _

_ -Possessed mascot costume _

_ -Ancient creature? Maybe was trapped in ice or lived at the bottom of the sea? _

_ -Octopus exposed to radiation or some other mutagens. _

_ Korosensei was _

Beneath the scratched out notes was a simple statement:

_ Korosensei _ _ is _ _ human. _

Well, well…

_ Now where had you confirmed _ that _ tidbit of information, Reader? _

He tapped his chin for a moment before flipping to the next page.

_ Yeah, fuck main campus. The Principal is an asshole. _

He chuckled. Apparently Asano’s visit had made an impression.

_ The octopus is terrifying. _

_ He completely overhauled the campus yard and told the children that if they don’t make it in the top 50 on the midterms this year he’s leaving and flattening the school. _

_ What the fuck is this? These are CHILDREN. They’ve been doing really well in the classes, sure but just… throwing something like that at them? _

_ It’s kinda shit tbh. _

_ He seems real proud of himself and thinks his teaching methods will mean success. _

_ Seems to think he’s the only teacher here too. _

_ What a fuckin’ ass. _

Oh. That…

That stung.

_ What the hell is going to happen if he leaves? _

_ So, looks like Korosensei changed his mind. He’s not leaving. In fact he seems even more ready to help the kids tackle finals. _

Thank god.

_ Irina and Karasuma said they’d leave if he did. _

_ I guess I’m the only one who gives a shit. _

_ As usual. _

As usual…

He stared at the page for a few moments, considering that statement.

Next, there were some lesson plan notes and then:

_ Octopus swore to me he won’t leave… _

_ I think I believe him. _

_ He also tried to give me one of those stupid knives. _

_ Why the fuck does no one here get that I’m not here to kill anyone??? That is literally the opposite of my job guys come on. _

There was a list of snacks after, things he recalled mentioning to them.

_ Kyoto trip is coming up. The kids are planning routes based on which will work best for killing Korosensei. _

_ This shit is wild. _

_ Also, he wrote a Kyoto guidebook just for this trip. One thousand three hundred and forty-four pages. In one night. _

_ I’ve been double checking it and literally the information is accurate. It seems to have references to things about Kyoto that only locals know too. What the hell? _

_ Is he from here? _

_ Is he from anywhere? _

_ That’s a good quesiton actually. _

_ He knows a ton about Japan but that seems to hold true for places all over the world. _

He chuckled to himself, a certain level of pride in his students so diligently planning his death.

Next was a series of notes about work out plans and stretches to do at home.

_ Karasuma is actually a pretty chill dude about training me with the students. _

_ He takes into consideration what I can and can’t do. It’s nice. Way better than everyone just vaguely saying to hit the gym or to lose weight. _

_ Ate shit a few times in front of everyone. Embarrassing as fuck but you know what? _

_ At lest it was in front of these guys and not a bunch of fit strangers in a gym. _

On one hand, he was happy that Reader was enjoying their drills but-

What was this about_ Karasuma _ being a pretty chill dude?

_ He _ was clearly the most _ fun _ teacher in the class.

_ Was almost late to the trip. Karasuma was not happy. _

_ Korosensei can go invisible but literally doesn’t want to go naked so it’s useless. (What is he under there? Just more tentacles? Is he really an octopus?) _

There was a list of numbers-

Oh! So the government had paid 1,008,000 yen for that trip?

They needn’t have bothered.

His disguise had been perfect.

What was…

Oh, poor Reader really was _ helpless _ at Koi Koi.

He added some notes and corrections. There we go.

And here were some of Nagisa’s notes copied over it appeared. 

  * __When he tries to act cool, his weaknesses show.__
  * _He is surprisingly quick to panic._
  * _He is petty._
  * _His punches are weak._
  * _Boobs (natural weakness)._
  * _He is humble and subservient to his superiors at work._
  * _He has no patience for wire puzzles. _
  * _He gets motion sickness._
  * _He can't sleep on a pillow other than his own._
  * _He worries about appearances._
  * _He can't handle hot food._

He had to applaud the boy for thinking outside of the box. He was certainly trying to cover all bases.

There were some notes about Tokyo Banana here from their conversation on the train. Some choice quotes and facts from the children…

_ So apparently he can get motion sickness? How does that work with Mach 20?? _

_ Ginger pills seem to help though. _

_ The poor people at this inn don’t seem to know what to think. Karasuma said they were being well compensated for the situation. _

_ The bath and dinner were both amazing. This place is really cute. _

There were several notes keeping score for ping pong it looked like. He chuckled.

They really were going out of their way with the children…

It was lovely.

_ Ran into Korosensei in the gardens. Something seemed… off. He stayed outside after. Looking at the moon seemed to make him go blue. Not sure because of the light though… _

_ Does he regret it? Maybe being with the kids is changing his mind? _

_ Damn I hope so. _

He let out a small sigh.

Maybe one day he’d be able to let everyone know why.

But for now…

He turned his attention to the kitchen for a moment, straining out the bones from the broth and adding rice, grated ginger, and chopped green onion. He kept stirring the pot with a free tendril while he continued to read.

There was a series of notes for the daily itinerary. Which groups they were traveling with etc.

_ Today was something. _

_ Okay so, chronological order. _

_ First group: Isogai, Kimura, Maehara, Okano, Yada, Kataoka, Kurahashi _

_ We went on the Sagano Scenic Railway. It was gorgeous. It’s basically this old section of train that got repurposed into a sightseeing train. Korosensei had no issues with motion sickness on this one because it was open air? _

_ We stopped on the Hozu River Bridge and that’s where the sniper was supposed to do shit. _

_ Korosensei stopped a bullet with yatsuhashi. _

_ I’m not even kidding. _

_ He stopped a bullet with something made of dough and red bean paste. _

He was stifling laughs again. Their responses to his abilities were priceless.

_ Second group: Mimura, Okajima, Chiba, Sugaya, Hayami, Fuwa, Nakamura _

_ Next group went to Toei Uzumasa Eigamura park. Cute place. It’s apparently been used for movies and things. Lots of historical buildings. Ended up watching a samurai show. Apparently Korosensei enjoys Edo-era swordplay… _

_ So much so that he ended up taking part in the show. _

_ I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in ages. I taped the whole thing. _

_ Sniper never showed up I guess? _

He was glad they enjoyed the show even if they’d found it funny. He wondered if they’d be willing to share those videos with him. He could always see if he could improve his acting…

They hadn’t noticed the sniper.

Red Eye had been an interesting one, he had to admit. Quite nice dinner company as well.

_ Third group: Terasaka, Yoshida, Muramatsu, Takebayashi, Hazama, Hara _

_ We wound up being late to third group because the octpus got caught up in acting. We found the kids at Kiyomiza-Dera and ended up wandering the street for souvneirs. (Family should be happy with what I’m sending back.) _

_ Hara had him trying out blotting paper and apparently his SLIME can stop a bullet. _

_ Which is… pretty gross actully. But also holy shit??? I have so many questions about how that works. _

He huffed. He preferred it when they called him cute.

_ Which leads us to the Fourth Group: Nagisa, Kayano, Karma, Okuda, Kanzaki, Sugino _

_ Korosensei got a call from them. Kanzaki and Kayano were kidnapped by, who we later found out, were some high school thugs. He was remarkably calm about it and went so fast that I actually ended up motion sick for once. _

_ I ended up distracting some of the boys outside and Korosensei knocked them senseless. _

_ It was… it was kinda badass actually. _

That was even_ better _ than cute.

_ For the first time I got to see the octopus in a fight. Most of the time it’s just him dodging the kids. Holy shit. He’s flat out frightening. He can move faster than humans, of course, but he’s also really accurate and he can toss people easily. But he let the kids deal the final blow which is… interesting. _

_ They got to use those guidebooks for something other than just the trip planning. _

_ Kanzaki and Kayano were okay, thank goodness. _

_ Kids got away with bruises for the most part. Thank goodness. Karma was my primary concern. He’d been smacked in the head with a pipe. _

_ It’s been a day. We’re back at the inn now. _

He felt _ quite _ proud of himself.

_ Decided to have another walk after dinner. Needed a break from all the excitement. _

_ Almost fell and was caught by Korosensei. _

_ He was naked and invisible. _

_ I’m still losing my shit over this. The kids apparently were peeping on him in the bath? So he escaped without his clothes. _

_ He was so _ ** _weird_ ** _ about it, it was hilarious. I couldn’t see a damn thing but he was still hiding out and asked me not to look at him. _

_ Side note: He mentioned communal bathing isn’t normal where he comes from??? I guess he’s not Japanese? _

He buried his face in his hands. It was just as mortifying to READ about it.

The next entry was scrawled fast and loose.

_ Korosensei is human. I overheard a conversation between him and Karasuma that confirmed it. _

_ Holy shit??? _

_ Also he’s had a love life?? _

_ HOW?? _

_ I’m losing my mind. _

_ If he’s human what happened to him? Mutation? Genetic testing? Exposure to something? _

_ THATS WHY HE SAID SUPER HUMAN OMFG _

He chuckled. Adorable-

WAIT A MINUTE WHAT DID THEY MEAN ‘HOW’???

That was the most recent entry but he flipped through the rest of the book. Occasional notes about dates, times, orders, and…

A list of their students…

They…

He looked over at them on the couch and back to the book.

They were taking notes on the students’ likes and dislikes, personality quirks, and best subjects…

He was having their doubts about them being an assassin but… even if they were one…

They were a good person.

A few last edits to the book and he tucked it back into their bag, checking on the soup.

A while later he heard a sound and watched, amused, as Reader stumbled from their couch and down the hall to the bathroom. They hadn’t noticed him.

They certainly _ must _ be sick.

They exited the bathroom and were nearly back to the couch when they froze. Turning slowly, they looked at him. They certainly were going through some emotions right now. Shock, surprise, dawning horror…

_ Adorable. _

“Oh, good, you’re awake!”

They tried to respond and ended up coughing instead.

"Now, now, don't strain your voice, Reader, let me take care of it. I was passing by on my way to a new cafe to try some of their tiramisu and thought you could perhaps use a bit of help." gently, he pushed them to a chair, quickly serving up a bowl of the soup with chicken, soy sauce, and white pepper added liberally to it, "Given the number of empty packages around the couch I assume you haven't been eating well."

They still hadn’t said anything… he hoped this wouldn’t backfire. They were making quite the face.

"But I'm here to fix that!"

That earned him a weak smile. What a relief.

He touched their forehead gently. The fever was still going strong, "Definitely a fever. Perhaps medication is in order. I noticed your supply was low..."

Carefully he measured out doses. The scent of relief told him he’d made the right call in coming. He gestured for them to eat.

"No good taking these on an empty stomach."

They turned their attention to the bowl and began to eat. Their expression was nearly rapturous.

“Nurufufufu~, "I _ thought _ you might be hungry. So, I took the liberty of making a large batch. There's extra in your freezer for later." 

They looked up and then around at the apartment, realization setting in. Then they said the first thing since he’d arrived, "I swear it's not always that bad. Thank you though, this is... it's a huge help right now."

They’d gone a bit pale. He had a feeling that was a lie.

"Well, I can't very well have my students' caregiver sick now can I? It would be risking their health as well."

A small weak smile crossed their face, "I still really appreciate it, between work and sleep it's hard to keep this place maintained after getting sick or what have you. So this keeps me on track."

He took a seat next to them, “I’m happy to help. Here.” he nudged the medication their way.

They took it gratefully, "Thanks...aren't you worried about getting sick?"

"I'm quite immune I'm afraid. An apt reason my students use guns instead of Petri dishes."

"Must be nice."

"On the contrary, it does mean I can't call in sick to work to play hooky."

"Yeah but if you didn't come in, they couldn't force you to anyhow. Besides, we both know you'd never blow off work like that. I've seen you with the kids." they chuckled looking a bit sly, “And I’ve already threatened you about running off.”

He quieted at the memory, "Right you are, Reader."

There was a light, sweet scent from them as they focused on their meal again. Interesting…

He couldn’t quite put a tentacle on what it was…

Their voice was measured when they spoke next, "So...why is it you pour so much effort into them if you intend on blowing everything up in March?"

Straight to the point.

"That_ is _ the question, isn't it?" he chuckled, “For now, it's not something I can answer. You'll have to work a bit harder than that to unlock my tragic backstory I'm afraid."

Somewhere in him, he found himself hoping that they might…

Odd.

They paused mid-bite, "So, it's _ tragic _ is it?"

Oh ho…

Sick and _ still _ they were keeping an eye out.

"Perhaps. You will have to see."

They smirked at him, "I'm starting to think maybe you're saying that to make yourself _ sound _ more interesting," 

_ WHAT?! _

"I'll have you know I'm _ fascinating _!"

They laughed. That laugh…

It was starting to become one of his favorite sounds.

"I don't know. Karasuma seems like a pretty fascinating dude..."

KARASUMA?! AGAIN?

“First the students and now the faculty too? He keeps stealing my spotlight! Karasuma isn’t REMOTELY fascinating compared to me! I have tentacles! I blew up the moon! I’m a superior lifeform! I’m a loveable scamp! HOW DOES KARASUMA EVEN COMPARE?!_ I MADE YOU SOUP! _”

They were laughing a bit as they moved to wash their bowl, “Relax, Walmart. I’m kidding.”

Wal-

What?

“What was that?”

“I’m kidding.” they took a seat again, taking out a cough drop from one of the bags.

"No, what did you call me?"

"Walmart? You know, big chain store in America? Their symbol is a smiley face." they picked up their phone and saw their lock screen, “Really?”

He whistled to himself. It was a particularly good selfie, he thought.

They unlocked their phone and let out a groan at the wallpaper. He chuckled.

They held out the phone, showing a rather default looking smiley face.

"I must say, the resemblance is uncanny but I think that I'm far more handsome."

They gave something similar to an ‘mmhmm’, "It was the first thing I was reminded of when I saw you but octopus works too."

"I much prefer to be associated with octopus, rather than a corporation, thank you."

"It's cuter than their mascot for sure."

Well, yes, given some of the _ very interesting manga _ they had collected he assumed they found a variety of creatures cute.

"Oh is it now~?" 

"Yep." they stretched and their shirt lifted just a touch to reveal a sliver of stomach, he pointedly tried not to stares, "I slept all day and I feel like I could still go back to bed."

"Of course, your body is recovering from an illness, it's only natural." 

He quickly tidied up their blanket cocoon from the couch and gave it a quick wash in their bath before throwing it over their balcony line to dry. He’d already arranged the futon for them but he took the moment to set out snacks, an octopus themed bottle of water he’d picked up, some of their ah… interesting manga, and their medications. Their expression of shock was delightful.

Half of the fun of Mach 20 was honestly surprising people like this.

“So, now, _ to bed with you _.” He waved them to their 

They stared at the futon and things laid out, “Do you do this for Karasuma and Irina too?”

He chuckled, “Oh rest assured, I would if they fell ill. The students too, if it wouldn’t alert their families.”

“I figured it out. Your plan to destroy the world.”

That caught his attention.

With a yawn they continued, “You plan on killing us with weaponized kindness.” they crawled into their futon, “You’re going to mother us to death. That’s what’s going to happen.”

“Nonsense.” carefully, he tucked them in, pulling the blankets up around them, “I simply appreciate seeing people function at their full potential.”

“Ah, so I’m less _ efficient _ this way you mean.” The sarcasm was strong in that statement.

“In a sense.” he reached out, gently resting a hand on their head. Their eyes widened. Hopefully this wasn’t overstepping.

Then again, he’d just broken into their apartment, so he was sure they wouldn’t object to a pat on the head.

“I admit, I would also miss our lunch breaks if you missed another day.”

They snorted, “You’d miss my_ snacks _, you mean.”

That wasn’t going to do. He didn’t want them thinking that.

“Quite the contrary, Reader, it would be your _ company _ I miss.”

“I’d miss you too. Now go get out of here, have some tiramisu for me.”

They smiled.

Oh, that smile...

“A request I shall happily comply with!” they were already beginning to nod off, “Sleep well, Reader.”

He was sitting in the cafe, having his tiramisu and thinking things over. No scent of weapons in the apartment. Of course, given their profession, they might not require normal weapons but there was no anti-sensei agent either. Then again, not all assassins kept their work at home. Reader could certainly have a ‘workspace’ elsewhere. He also wasn’t familiar with them and he’d made it his business to at least have a working memory of the assassins in current operation.

But then again…

This could certainly all be wishful thinking.

The odds, so far, were in favor of them not being one but there was always a chance.

Especially as things stood in the classroom.

He’d keep an eye on things for now…

He ordered a slice of tiramisu to go.

He stopped in at Reader’s apartment again, tucking the tiramisu in the fridge. They were still sleeping. Perfect.

He took the time to prepare notes for them. Little doodles of octopi, tips for taking care of themself, etc. A few a bit more… heartfelt than others. That done, he took a moment to peek in on them. They had rolled onto their back, one hand flopped up on their pillow, mouth just slightly ajar, breathing softly.

He chuckled and slid the door shut, being sure to lock the front door as he left.

_ Adorable. _


	9. A Very Straightforward Request

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The companion chapter to [Chapter 18 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/47750989).

"Korosensei?" 

That voice made him ridiculously happy.

Maybe this form really was just prone to lovesickness,"Feeling better are we?~"

"Much."

That face mask looked adorable on them.

"I'm glad to hear it. I wonder what could have possibly helped along your recovery-"

He paused as they bowed to him.

"Thank you very much for stopping by to help me. I brought you something." they held out a furoshiki wrapped package, "It's not much and I'm not sure it turned out as good as I expected but I hope you enjoy it."

Well then…

He accepted it carefully, "Thank you, Reader, that's very kind of you."

He untied it, peeking inside.

What-

OH!

"Bamboo shoot cookies! And… Reader is this a bento?" 

HAD THEY MADE HIM A BENTO?

They nodded.

Carefully he lifted the lid to reveal…

That was omurice decorated to look like his face. And those were octopus sausages.

"It's me!"

"I know you like octopi so I did my best with the hot dogs. Omurice isn't really my specialty but I thought it would be fitting..."

Their eyes were bright above the mask. They were absolutely smiling.

"It's delightful, Reader, I can't wait to try it." He closed the lid carefully.

"Well without you I don't think I would have made it back to class nearly as fast."

He chuckled, "I'm _ very _ glad to see you've recovered."

There was a sweet scent in the air.

"So, Karasuma tells me we have a new student."

"Oh! That's right, you haven't met Ritsu yet!"

With that, he took Mx. Reader to meet the newest member of the class.

At lunch he opened the bento they had made and had started to take a bite when Reader glanced his way.

"So...I noticed the notes you left me."

Oh good, he’d been hoping they would respond to that. Time to get a better read on them…

"I do hope they were helpful to you."

“Yes. However,” they laid their notebook on the desk, "These notes weren't."’ 

"Oh? I would think as a fellow educator you would _ always _ be seeking improvement."

Their voice carried challenge, "You're just using that as an excuse to go through my things."

Oh ho ho…

Well then, interesting…

He leaned in, looking at them intently, "_ Perhaps _. What do you intend to do about it?"

“Ask you not to.” Their voice was matter of fact but also…

There was an openness to it. It took him by surprise.

Anger. Frustration. Irritation. Those he was quite familiar with.

This wasn’t any of those. It was gentler, softer.

Just like them, he supposed.

"I know that that tactic is what you use against failed assassins. I'm not trying to assassinate you. I'm just doing my job. This is a stipulation of it." Their voice was quiet and measured.

He sat back, looking at them, "A very straightforward request."

They faltered, just slightly. There were the opening notes of…

That was fear in their scent.

"In exchange…I won't share the information I learned about you in Kyoto."

Oh? Well then…

This was certainly an interesting development.

Were they offering what he suspected?

“And what information might that be?”

They turned to him, their eyes firm, “That you’re not a superior lifeform. You’re super _ human _.”

Why, yes it was.

He supposed, given the nature of what they did know of him so far, it was logical that they were frightened to admit they knew this.

But he wished, on some level, that they weren’t.

And he hoped… on some level, that they wouldn’t share this information with the children.

"As you said, that information is part of your work. To share it or not is entirely at your discretion." 

Relief replaced the acrid tang of fear. Like the smell of new growth. They looked back at their bento, "Also, it makes it _ really hard _ to transcribe when there's editing notes all over the place. The post-it's though...those were nice."

_ They’d liked his post-it notes! _

He chuckled, "I _ thought _ you might enjoy those."

"And so was the tiramisu. Thanks for that."

"It’s _ delicious _, isn't it?! I believe I left a note with the shop's location for you."

They nodded, “Yeah, you did. I'm surprised though. It doesn't seem like my place was on the way."

Ah… 

Caught.

"It is when you're as fast as I am."

"Mm…" 

“I take it the medication has been helpful?”

“Mmhm…It’s helped out a lot.”

“I’m glad. This classroom is less interesting without you around.”

As he said he realized…

He genuinely meant it.


	10. Inhale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adjacent Chapter to [Senbazuru's Chapter 28](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/48167422).

A little pressure was often all that was needed to break down a boundary. He’d seen it many times in his life. A knife to the throat, a hand to a pulse, a gun to the temple...

And that was what he was doing here.

He left the blade out for them to find and went back to work.

Predictably, they stormed into the office, knife in hand. He locked eyes with them, challenging. Would they-

They purposefully crossed the room, eyes hard as they dropped the knife into the trash.

The bell rang.

“... I don’t know what’s going on here but I’ve got an English class to teach.” Irina got up and flipped her hair over her shoulder, leaving the room.

“What’s the problem, Mx. Reader?” Karasuma’s gaze flicked to him and back to Reader.

“Nothing.”

They stormed back out.

Interesting...

He slipped the knife into their bag this time, amused when they threw it out the window. While they were distracted, he laid out a knife and bb gun for them to find. A little more pressure…

When he came back to the faculty lounge, Karasuma gave him a look, “I don’t know what’s going on between you two but Mx. Reader has asked me to relay that they’re not appreciating the knives.”

“Of course.” he pulled out his paperwork.

A guilty conscience? Was that why?

They were eating lunch in their office.

A little more pressure.

That should be all that was needed…

He replaced the chopsticks in their hands with a knife.

“HEY!”

The knife was thrown across the room, skipping across the floor. He rushed in and retrieved it carefully.

“Why are you doing this?” they crossed the room to him, voice sharp, “I’m not here to assassinate anyone!”

Reaching out, without a word, he placed the knife in their hand.

What would they do? They stared at him, expression shifting. Their hand tightened on the handle and he prepared to dodge-

They threw the knife away from them where it skimmed across the floor, coming to rest beneath a table.

“What?” their voice was cracking, “Do you want me to kill you? Are you trying to prove a point? Because  _ it’s not happening _ .”

Just… a  _ touch _ more pressure.

He chuckled, “Don’t think you can do it?”

They were angry. So angry he could smell it, the bitterness roll off of them in waves. But under that was the tang of panic. And…

There was no bloodlust in their eyes…

Only  _ tears _ .

“I don’t WANT to do it.” they glared up at him. “I don’t want you to-”

Oh.

_ Ohhhhh… _

_Oh,_ _Reader…_

“So… _ that’s _ what the nightmare was about.”

How could he have missed that?

They wiped at their eyes, “Yeah.  _ No shit. _ ”

He placed a hand on their head, handing them a tissue, “Someone will, eventually, Reader.” he spoke softly, “It’s best to understand that now.”

“I know that. But you don’t have to rub it in.” their voice sounded broken. A raw, wrong, and jarring sound coming from them. 

The absolute ache in their voice reverberated through his core. He couldn't bear it.

They had killed but they were  _ no _ assassin.

He pulled them in close to his chest, stroking their hair with a hand gently. He needed them to know it was alright. 

They wrapped their arms around him tightly like they never wanted to let go.

Sweetness filled the air...

How  _ stupid _ of him.

How _ thoughtless _ .

_ That _ was that scent he'd been picking up.

Attraction.  _ To him. _

Not Karasuma or Irina as he had assumed.

He wanted to…

He wanted to do a lot of things.

Hold them, tell them he had been wrong, comfort them, but… the bell was ringing

“I do believe it’s time for class,” he said softly.

They nodded slightly, “Yeah.”

_ What was he going to do about this? _

In class, he was distracted.

They…

They had  _ feelings _ for him.

_ Romantic _ feelings.

Tentatively the emotions he'd been coping with emerged, his heart felt full and he felt giddy despite the unfortunate state of the reveal.

On one hand, he was elated. If he asked they would say yes, wouldn't they?

He could just picture the blush on their cheeks and sparkle in their eye…

But he couldn't do that...

He couldn't do that to them.

He remembered Aguri.

The slow and surprising way she'd crept into his heart and the agonizing pain of losing her.

In his mind's eye he watched the spark fade from their eyes, the tears on their face, and...

He couldn't do that to them…

It was assured. He would be gone.

Enough lives were going to have to suffer with that grief already.

"Hey… Korosensei, is everything okay?" It was Nagisa, eyes trained on him, "You're going blue."

Oh dear…

"Ah! Everything's fine I was just remembering a plot development in my favorite drama!"

Nagisa didn't look convinced but took notes anyway.

He had to be careful...

The school day had ended and everyone was heading home. He rushed to catch Reader and found them in the mountain trail. He stopped behind them, touching their shoulder, "Reader…"

They stopped but didn't look back, "Yeah?"

There was so much defeat there. So much pain.

If only it were something he could fix…

"I wanted to remind you of something."

“What?”

He leaned in near their ear. Careful. Soft., “ _ I’m not dead yet. _ ”

“I know.”

Time for a pep talk.

“So, why worry about it?” he straightened, grinning down at them, “Life is an  _ adventure _ , Reader. It’s something to be basked in,  _ relished _ . Worrying about what’s to come only gives uncertainty.”

He gave their shoulder a gentle squeeze, “It’s better to plan for what’s to come.  _ Prepare _ . That is what will bring you peace.”

Their hand came up, resting on his, “I’ll try.”

Oh…

He wanted to take their hand. To hold it but...

They took a deep breath and then sighed and just like that he felt their tension dissipate.

Their hand pulled away and they turned to face him with a look, "But no more damn knives. Karasuma already got pissed at me for throwing them away.”

He laughed. God that was what he wanted to see, them like this.

“A waste of the government’s money?”

“Yeah.”

The scent of relief. Good.

“I know a lovely little place near yours, would you be interested in stopping for a coffee?”

“Sure.” they smiled, “Preferably an outing where I don’t start choking.”

“Preferably. After all, can’t have you dying before I do now can we?”

“I can’t anyway. We have a place to go in July.”

They remembered.

It made him happier than he expected, “Indeed.”


	11. PLEASE PRESENT YOUR OCTOPUS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion chapter to [Chapter 31 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/48346633).

And there they were, looking a bit frazzled but-

“Reader! I-”

Oh dear… that shirt…

PLEASE PRESENT YOUR OCTOPUS.

Well, Reader, how  _ forward _ of you indeed.

“An  _ interesting _ fashion choice.”

They looked up at him awkwardly, “It’s my pajamas...”

How  _ adorable _ .

Oh! Wait!

"I didn't realize this was a pajama party! I'll have to change.~” he dashed back home, changing into more appropriate attire.

After today’s revelations and the fight, he was happy to have such a simple distraction like this. 

"Now that I'm properly dressed let's start the popcorn!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure you remember where everything is from last time." they gave a smile.

He chuckled, "True, but it's nice to be here under better circumstances."

That… shirt. PLEASE PRESENT YOUR OCTOPUS.

Had that worn that intentionall-

“Okay,  _ look _ .” they held up their hands, “I think mistranslated shirts are hilarious. I’ve got friends that send them to me and I pick them up sometimes… I always end up using them as pajamas.”

Uh huh…

Interesting cover story.

“So the octopus was  _ just _ a coincidence?”

They laughed, “I swear.”

_ Damn. _

“It’s apparently like a travel card to pay for transportation in Hong Kong?” they continued.

He nodded, “Oh, I’m familiar with it. Out of context, it  _ does _ make for an amusing shirt.”

He started to prepare a container of pre-packaged stovetop popcorn.

They leaned against the wall, watching, "So, what kind of movie do you want to start with? Action? Comedy?"

Why not test the waters a little…

"I was thinking one with a good  _ romance _ , actually.”

"I think I have a few with romance plots hold on…"

They trailed sweetness after them.

Perhaps he shouldn’t tease them so badly... given the situation. Getting their hopes up wouldn’t be very kind.

"Uhhh… animated or live action?"

Oh but on the other hand they were SO adorable when they were flustered…

"Either would be fine."

"Have you ever heard of the movie The Wind Rises?"

He looked back at them, “I've heard of it but I can't say I've had the pleasure of watching it. It's the story of Jiro Horikoshi, correct?"

"Yeah, it's by Studio Ghibli."

"That sounds delightful."

The movie was lovely and interesting, if a bit slowly paced. He turned, at some point, to mention something to them and-

...they had fallen asleep.

He felt his grin deepen. They were slumped over on the arm of the couch, fast asleep. He snapped a selfie or two and then set about making them comfortable. A pillow on his lap, a blanket over them, perfect.

He turned his attention back to the movie and before he realized it, he caught himself idly stroking their hair. A faint smile played about their features in their sleep and they snuggled further against the pillow.

This wasn’t entirely what he had expected for the evening but he couldn’t say he was disappointed. The day had been…

He’d had a moment when he’d wondered if he’d make it through the fight.

It hadn’t been a pleasant one.

To be here, relaxed, calm, and painfully domestic…

He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed something like this.

When the film ended, he looked down at them. Part of him didn’t want to wake them but… they would most likely be more comfortable in their room.

Gently, he shook them awake. They rubbed at their eyes and looked up at him. Creases and lines from the fabric of the pillow decorated their cheek. Their hair was a mess.

It was _ precious _ .

"Reader, I  _ think _ it's about time we got you to bed…"

They sat up, running a hand through their hair, making the small sounds of someone confused about waking up. They looked to the television, then back at him, their eyes flicked to the pillow on his lap and their eyes widened. The sweet scent of fondness tempered by a tang of panic.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you, I-"

"Not to worry. We've had a very busy couple of weeks and a very exciting day.  _ Naturally _ you're tired. The movie was still quite enjoyable but perhaps it's best I let you get to bed, unless you'd rather this become a sleepover."

"If you want to crash here I don't mind."

O-Oh…

Well then…

He chuckled, "I'll have to get my pillow then."

"Sure, I'll see what I can lay out for you…"

He gave them a nod and headed to the balcony, shooting off towards home.

What had just happened???

WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED?!

When he got to his house he paced for a moment or two. They had agreed for him to stay at their apartment what on Earth, did that mean it was a friendly gesture or was it because of their feelings or-

He took a breath, calming himself, and packed up his futon and pillow.

Well then…

Time to see how this would go…

When he came back to the apartment, Reader was exactly where he’d left them. It seemed he wasn’t the only one a bit out of place with this situation. Well, that certainly made him feel a bit more equipped for it.

He placed his bedding on the couch, "I thought it might be appropriate to bring my own bedding, after all I'm not sure anything you have here will be large enough."

They gave a nod, clearly unsure of how to handle things, "Is uh… is the living room good for you?"

_ The poor thing. _

He nodded, "It will be perfect. _ Now! _ " He clasped his hands together, "Off to bed with you."

He guided them gently into their room and watched as they crawled into their futon. Something caught his eye and he paused, looking at the mirror.

Those…

Those were the post-it notes he’d left them.

They had KEPT them.

He chuckled, looking over at them. There was a scent, sweet, heady, almost tinged with… persimmon? Fruit of some sort. 

"I'm happy that you found those so _ inspirational _ , Reader. Or perhaps you just can't get enough of me." he teased.

"They're nice reminders in the morning. It helps me get ready for the day… "

Oh that…

That made his heart ache in the best of ways.

"That's very touching."

Gently, he reached out and drew the blankets up over their shoulders before patting their head, "Sleep well, Reader."

“You too...” they looked at him over the edge of the blankets.

Why did they have to be so cute?

He made his way out into the living room and prepared his futon, thinking about the evening.

It had been calm.

Relaxed.

Delightfully boring.

An interesting concept but it was true.

He laid down, pulling the blankets up. It was a surreal experience staying at someone’s home. A sort of simple situation that many had experienced but that he’d never had. 

He had to say that so far… he enjoyed it.


	12. Secrets and Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion chapter to [Chapter 32 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/48346678).  
Reminder that this fanfic [also has a playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1s5XEJIyP4ICQPKEEHZ4sd)!

He couldn’t rest.

It had been an intense day and a gentle evening. Now he found himself caught between the two, unable to slip into the rest that he required.

Something felt…

Needed.

Like a glass of warm milk or tea.

He paused, hearing them roll yet again.

Perhaps late night conversation was in order…

He picked up his phone and selected their contact. 🚫🔪☮️

[Can't sleep either?]

The response was quick.

[How did you know?]

[I heard you tossing and turning.]

They were quiet for a moment, so he continued:

[You were certainly out during the movie. Is something on your mind?]

[Why do you want to blow up the Earth anyway?]

Cutting right to the point. As usual.

[Just like my tragic backstory, that is -also- a secret.]

He couldn’t just leave it at that. He added onto it:

[Just know that I have my reasons and that they are important. But not as important as my current work.]

[And know that my motives have nothing to do with the class.]

Dead silence for a long period of time. Maybe they had fallen asleep. Was he that boring?

[Reader? Did you fall asleep?]

His phone buzzed.

[No, I'm here.]

[Would you like me to fix breakfast tomorrow?]

[Sure.]

He could hear them rolling over again in the other room. Clearly they were also not sleeping.

He decided to try something. Perhaps they could _ both _ use a bit of company...

[You know, this -is- a sleep over and late night chats are part of the custom. If you can't sleep, you're more than welcome to join me out here. I'm sure the couch is suitably comfortable given how you were sleeping on it before.]

He waited a moment and, to his surprise, he heard the sound of them padding across the floor. He remained where he was, staring at his phone and waiting to see what they would do.

Feet crossed the floor and he heard the sound of them sinking onto their couch.

He turned, looking at them, "I thought perhaps you couldn't sleep because you were lonely."

"I wasn't lonely. It was just really warm and comfortable on the couch before." they groused.

"You mean when I was there.~" he teased.

He _ hoped _ that was why.

They chuckled, yawning, "I mean I guess you _ do _ make a good portable heater."

Their hair was mussed and they still had that slightly dazed, sleepy look from before.

It was darling.

He loved it.

"I'm certainly glad of that."

This was a slumber party. Time to ensure it ran like one.

He rolled onto his stomach, chin propped up on his hands, "How exciting! We can stay up late and talk about the boys we like.~" 

"You like boys?" they seemed skeptical.

He chuckled. So, they _ were _ curious, "I have my preferences but I am a man of many vices." 

There was that scent again, sweetness and persimmons.

"So, is it _ true _ that you don't like anyone?"

Of course he knew the answer.

But it was too amusing not to pester them about.

They laughed, "Not this _ again. _"

"So you _ doooo _ like someone. It's Karasuma, isn't it?"

"_ God _, no."

_ Take THAT Karasuma! _

"Irina?"

"No."

”I see. You've fallen _ hopelessly _ for my charms." he smirked at them. They looked so embarrassed. It was absolutely adorable.

"Why do you want to _ know _ so badly?"

He thought he should test a theory...

"Gossip is a hobby of mine. Not to mention it's fun watching you _ squirm _." 

They covered their face bursting into nervous laughter, "I've changed my opinion."

Sweetness and persimmons...

"Oh?"

"You're not going to mother us to death, you're going to embarrass us to death!"

"So, there_ is _a secret crush is there?"

"I didn't say that."

"Yes, but you _ do _ seem very flustered."

More than flustered, he was sure of it now.

They huffed, "And what about you? Met any hot single cephalopods in your area recently?"

Well, this could be fun...

"Mmmmm" he offered them a stick of Pocky and took one for himself, "I have had my share of romantic endeavors in my time. None, however, with cephalopods."

"That didn't answer the question." their tone was sly, "I asked if you had met anyone _ recently _."

Time to grind it in a bit more. 

"Why? Are you interested?" he countered.

"Why not? _ You're _ interested in _ gossip _."

Hm… Touche, Reader.

Touche.

He tipped his head, amused, "Very well then. I have not."

"So, when was the last time?~"

This…

This was going places he was uncertain he wanted to cover…

And yet...

"Oh… a few months ago." 

"_ Really? _"

He nodded, watching them carefully. 

"What happened? Bad break up? She not digging the whole tentacle thing?" they chuckled.

He couldn’t find it in himself to laugh it off.

He couldn’t even find it in himself to evade or change the subject…

Worry played across their features, "Sorry…"

"No need to apologize." he could feel his tone dip.

He...

He was speaking before he realized it, not looking at them.

"I lost someone shortly before I took up this teaching position. They meant a great deal to me. You could say they inspired me to become a teacher." 

"I didn't mean to bring up something painful."

He remembered Aguri standing at the glass with a huge grin, holding her lab coat closed.

"You're going to love this one! It's so cute!"

He'd thought she was being ridiculous at the time. He'd been too stubborn to acknowledge that she was charming.

She opened her coat, revealing a black shirt with a grinning yellow octopus on it. Above it in large text was PRESENTING OCTOPUS SHOW.

It was absolutely ridiculous. He told her as much. She'd pouted and he'd complimented her. And the day had begun...

Please present your octopus…

He chuckled at the memory but it didn’t come out right. It was a broken sound.

"She would have _ loved _ you."

And she would have. That warm laugh, that kind smile, the gentle and familiar way they handled the children…

They would have caught her eye like starlight.

They moved, rising off the couch.

What were they...?

They slid to the floor, crawled over to him, and wrapped their arms around him…

God…

How long had it been since someone had done that?

The students had, one or twice. But for someone to hug him for his sake alone…

He wrapped them tightly in his tentacles, relishing the contact.

It had been _ so long… _

Long enough that, apart from Aguri, he couldn't _ remember _ the last time.

He clung to them, not wanting to waste a single minute of this gift. 

He didn't want to let go…

He sighed, shuddering, his emotions were especially high tonight. Between their closeness, the events of the week, and this… this growing vulnerability he was developing it was all a bit much.

They pulled away gently and sat beside him. Reaching down they retrieved a stick of Pocky and offered it, "Tell me about her?"

Oh…

Oh where could he even begin?

"Her name was Aguri."

Their eyes were gentle on him, listening.

"She was kind and put her students first above all else. In a sense, she was my first teacher. Though I'm afraid I learned from her lessons far too late."

"So, she was a teacher too?"

He nodded, "A very determined one, at that. She was the sort of person to see the good in everyone." rolling the Pocky stick between his fingers, he remembered what she had said, "_ 'Trust and appreciate those in your care or they won't succeed.’ _That was her motto."

The salty tang of sadness mingled with sweetness. 

"May I… may I ask what happened to her?" they pulled their knees up to their chest, folding in on themselves.

He finally brought himself to look at them, “She died because of _ my _ mistakes.”

The silence stretched between them. What were they thinking at this moment?

What would they think of him… knowing the truth?

Their expression wasn’t their usual when they were trying to sort something out. This was gentler, softer somehow.

Expectant. Open.

Kind.

He looked away, taking a bite of the snack to distract himself, “It’s no good to dwell on it though. The best I can do is to continue teaching to the best of my abilities… It’s what she would have wanted.”

“I think she’d be proud of you.” 

Oh…

Oh, Reader...

They looked at him from where they sat folded in on themself, “You’re definitely the best teacher _ I’ve _ ever met.”

His heart ached in the same way a stitch through skin or a bone being set did.

The kind of mending that came with healing.

It was an unexpected pain.

But he was grateful for it.

“Thank you, Reader... I certainly hope that she is.”

They looked to the floor. There were rising notes of panic in their scent. Their heart rate quickening. Whatever was going through their mind was distressing.

Gently, he reached out a tendril, placing it against the pulse of their throat, “Reader? Are you alright?”

When they looked up at him their face was full of heartbreak only half hidden. They reached up and stroked the tendril. Their touch was so warm… so comforting…

Would that he could just…

“I’m okay… I just wish I could help.” 

And still they thought of him.

“You _ have _, Reader.” he gave a small chuckle, “I’ve not been able to tell anyone about this until now.”

“Wha-” they stared at him in surprise.

He withdrew the tendril pressed to their neck reluctantly, “I’ve _ noticed _ that you’ve been leaving _ information _ out of your recent notes...”

They sighed.

“It didn’t seem relevant.”

“It is and isn’t. _ Normally _, I would suggest you hand over anything to the government or the children since killing me is of the highest priority to them…” he spoke carefully.

They watched him, lip pulled in that way they did when thinking.

“But for this...” he picked up another stick of Pocky, “I would appreciate it if you didn’t...”

It was a large request but they had hidden that he was huma-

The response was instant.

“I can do that.” 

_ Oh Aguri… _

_ What a year you’ve given me... _

“Today was… something.” they were looking up at him, this was something they’d been dwelling on.

He nodded, “It certainly was.”

They shifted, moving closer, “You know… you said it wasn’t so bad, regenerating, but that looked pretty painful.”

Their concern was touching.

It was painful.

But he’d had much worse.

He turned his attention to a box of MeltyKiss, opening them, "One gets used to it."

"Hey…"

"Hm?"

When they spoke next it was faltering and shaky, full of worry, "You're… You're okay, right?"

Of all the people he’d met after this change, all had been committed to his death. Even those that cared for him.

Except them.

They knew his threats. They knew his abilities.

And yet they wanted him to live.

"Yes, Reader. I'm okay."

They sighed in a way that seemed to be holding back tears, "Okay…"

He wrapped an arm around their shoulders, "I'm not dead yet, Reader."

They leaned against him, "Good."

What he wouldn’t give for more moments like this...

"Do you think Itona will be alright?"

And they were concerned for the boy too.

"I hope so… Or Mr. Shiro will be answering to _ me _." he tried to keep the anger from his voice. He failed.

"At least let me get a kick in. That guy rubbed me the wrong way on so many levels." their voice was irritated and sullen. It put him in mind of a child wanting to get back at a bully.

It was absolutely adorable.

"Nurufufufu~ Coming from the resident pacifist, he must have rubbed you the wrong way _ indeed _." 

"I don't like how he handled Itona…"

There was something… something unspoken there.

He remembered the way they had approached Shiro. The same way they had run into so many situations since they’d been hired...

"That was _ quite _ the show you made trying to face off with him. I'll warn you though, these people might not afford you the same protections as I would… be careful, Mx. Reader." 

"I know… I just don't like the idea that he's treating that child like some kind of guinea pig."

Break time is over, Guinea Pig. 

The thought of that child undergoing what he went through...

"Not to worry. We'll get him back, Reader. I promise you that."

"...why _ did _ his tentacles upset you so badly?"

"It's nothing you need to worry yourself over."

"I still will."

"I know..."

The silence that followed was calm, comfortable, amicable. Their warmth at his side was steadying.

Peace and healing.

"Well, that was all a bit dark for a sleepover conversation I think.”

“Sometimes they’re like that.” they smiled, “You know, as the Health Education teacher… if you need to talk, I’m here to listen.”

They offered him a MeltyKiss which he accepted, before tossing it, wrapper and all, into his mouth.

Talking to them more like this?

“I have to admit that I would like that.”

“If the government gives me trouble I could always tell them I have doctor patient confidentiality.” 

They were so CUTE when they were up to something!

He playfully shook their shoulders, “A loophole, _ how devious _.~”

“Well, if they can do it, why not me?”

“Thank you, Reader...”

Reaching out, he put his hand over theirs. Sweetness filled the air. They took his hand, squeezing it, “Anytime.”

“So, shall we both try to get some sleep?

“What? Done pestering me about my love life?”

“Oh, rest assured I can _ certainly _ pester you further if you’d like! I'm sure you have plenty of juicy secrets I could get my tentacles in-” WHOOPS, “er, on."

They laughed, “I mean if it would make you feel better then pester away!"

It was tempting and their offer was kind. But it was late.

He chuckled, “Perhaps in the morning. Or maybe I’ll wait for you to sleep and go through your diary.”

“You better not.”

So there WAS a second book somewhere.

“Which means _ you have one _.~”

Their hand pulled from his and he was sad to feel it go. It was thrust, pointing, at him, “You _ better not _.”

“Hmmmm… it will certainly take a lot of willpower to resist.”

They gave him a look, “I won't bring you any more snacks.”

WHY WAS THIS ALWAYS THEIR THREAT?!

“I was only _ joking _!”

Laughing, they got to your feet, “Then don’t go looking for my diary.”

He watched them as they curled up on the couch. There was something so… mundane about all of this.

So calm.

He’d needed this.

“I promise you Reader, I won’t.”

"You know… you said something similar about my notes."

"Cross my heart and hope to die.”

"You are _ literally _ asking people to assassinate you!" 

He chuckled, a thought coming to mind, "Well then…"

He reached out, pinky extending in the way they had done to him before, "Will this suffice?"

They laughed and locked their pinky in his, "Yes.”

“Sweet dreams.~”

"Wait…"

"Hm?"

He laid down. Something in his heart felt soft, loosened. A long overdue knot worked out of an aching muscle. The easing of tension and pain. It felt good to tell someone about her. Even if it was just in broad strokes.

"That… all that with the knives the other day..."

And just like that the knot returned, painful and insistent in his chest.

“Yes?”

"Why?"

It would be an admission.

His instincts fought against him for a moment but...

"Reader…"

He sat up, retrieving one of the anti-him knives on his person. He often carried them for the children and tonight he was glad he’d thought to bring one.

"What are you…" they stared at him, eyes wide.

He approached them, within reach, and offered them the blade, "I will stay still. You could end this now. Gain fortune and glory. The commendation of the government. Be a _ savior _."

He could, of course, dodge if they did try their hand.

Emotions warred on their face. Shock, anger, panic, and fear. They sounded offended in their reply, "Are you _ crazy _ ? I'm not taking that thing. I already _ told _ you I'm not here to assassinate anyone!"

There was no trace of bloodlust in their eyes. Only panic… and concern.

He tucked the knife away, _ "That's _ why."

He said it simply. It was too much to say all at once. To say he trusted them, that they reminded him of her, that their laughter and smile had permeated his heart, that…

There was just so much. And he hoped what he had said would be enough.

Their expression shifted. Realization, understanding.

He laid back down.

“Okay...” he could hear the note of relief their voice along with something more tender...softer.

The knot released it's hold.

All was right 

"Sleep well, Reader."

When he was sure they were falling asleep he reached out, brushing a hand over their hair. If nothing else to feel just a touch of that warmth before resting.

How long could he keep from telling them?

How long could he spare them?

A thought occurred to him suddenly…

He’d been so worried about leaving them with grief…

What if he left them with regret?

He sighed.

These were things his previous life hadn’t prepared him for.

He pulled the blanket closer around him, finally allowing himself to rest.

He could think on this later.

For now he would be content to sleep near them with the scent of fall and sweetness in the air.


	13. Adorable NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other side of the texting convo from [Chapter 36 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/48543638).

They were wonderful. There were so many charming things about them and it was distracting.

In...  _ so _ many ways.

He sighed, laying back on his futon. It was his one day a month to just relax.

But someone in his thoughts was making that _ incredibly _ difficult.

Shifting, he considered what to do. Yesterday he'd managed to prevent himself from asking them on an impromptu outing again. There'd already been so much going on, they probably needed a break...

_ You could, you know... _

Could he? Tell them  _ everything? _ He... he did trust them. Quite a bit more than his assassin's instincts thought were wise.

The look of revulsion and upset when he'd offered them the knife the other night...

That was certainly branded in his mind.

The way they'd fallen asleep in his lap... how close they'd been pressed to his side...

He took a breath, steadying himself.

It would be a lie to say that all of his thoughts were chaste about them. But...

They had been so concerned about Irina... they might misinterpret his advances.

And...

Well, he knew what that loss felt like and that wasn't the gift he wanted to leave with them by the end of the year.

He was already giving that to twenty-seven young minds.

No need to share the sadness around.

He was still weighing the idea of grief or regret. He’d experienced both but he could not say which was the easier pain...

His mind wandered back to Tomita farm and their expression with that first bite of lavender ice cream. He chuckled. They had looked so...

Perfect.

The way they'd challenged him with their knowledge post-Kyoto...

The fact that they kept that information out of their notes.

They needn't had bothered but...

It was touching. 

The satisfied look on their face after their first class.

The blush that had colored their cheeks when he'd told them cranes were suited to them.

How close he'd been to saying more that day after Maehara's revenge.

He covered his face with his hands.

What was he going to  _ do _ about this?

Perhaps...

Or... perhaps not...

It was one thing to do that sort of thing to magazines but Reader was a friend, a fellow educator...

And a  _ very fine specimen _ if he was being honest with himself.

Well...

He was hundreds of miles from the nearest city. It wasn't as though he was in danger of being found out...

And, well...

He hadn't properly in  _ quite _ a bit. Too much had been happening for him to find the time.

Slowly, he unfurled the pearlescent tentacles below his legs, letting them coil against each other. Ohhhh it  _ had _ been a while...

He shivered. He knew they were interested but... would they be interested in this? Given their manga collection he had a bit of hope that they would be. He imagined for a moment them, laying back, breathless looking up at him in anticipation... He shuddered, continuing to run the tentacles over one another.

Did that blush extend to their chest? Would they be loud? Or were they the type to gasp and-

His phone chimed.

Who on  _ earth _ ?

He untangled the tentacles below him and picked up his phone.

_ OH. _

[Enjoying some time off?]

He resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room in complete and utter mortification. What sort of TIMING did they have?!

This was  _ punishment _ , clearly. The universe had seen what he was doing and this was its response.

When he managed to calm down somewhat, he replied.

[I am, yes. You?]

Another ping.

[Yep. Relaxin’.]

And a photo.

A very flattering selfie of them, disheveled in that charming lazy Sunday sort of way. Cup of coffee in hand, and...

Oh, what  _ was _ that shirt? Well, those rabbits certainly looked happy...

He chuckled to himself slightly.

[Another interesting fashion choice, I see...]

[Pajamas.]

Cute. He could just picture how hard they must be blushing...

Time to rub it in.

[You wear such -interesting- pajamas.]

They really were quite cute in that picture…

He rubbed his face, trying not to think about what he’d been doing just before the text.

[You know that already.]

He could just imagine their pout.

Also, he could think of some… other sorts of interesting pajamas he’d love to see them in.

[True. They are quite charming though.]

That… should be safe enough, he hoped.

There was a much longer pause than he expected for a response. 

Oh dear. Had he offended?

[They’re really not the cuter ones I have.]

OH.

WHAT DID THEY MEAN BY  _ THAT? _

With shaking hands, he responded.

[Oh? Is that so?]

[Yeah. See?]

SEE?

He opened the attached picture and…

_ “ARE YOU  _ ** _KIDDING_ ** _ ME?” _

It was Reader alright. In a skeleton kigurumi posing like they were taking a photo for a dating profile.

Saved. Instantly saved.

It wasn’t what he’d tentatively hoped it would be but it was adorable and he loved it. Without thinking, he said exactly that.

[You look adorable.]

Oh, what if that was a touch too far?

There was silence for a long moment and he wondered what they were doing. Sliding out of that kigurumi mayb-

He tried to push that thought out of his mind for now.

He hoped they weren’t offende-

Ping!

[Thanks.]

Thank goodness.

Another ping.

[I showed you mine, you show me yours.]

** _O H._ **

He buried his face in his hands for a moment. He knew what they were asking for but after all the things going through his mind lately, that was…

That was  _ especially  _ distracting.

Sitting up, he looked around. What was an appropriate place to take a photo that wouldn’t give away his location? He settled for standing against one of the more blank walls, holding up his cup of tea in a parody of their photo and sent it.

[Of course!]

[Now look who’s adorable!]

THEY THOUGHT HE WAS ADORABLE?

_ WHAT?! _

He knew there was interest there but this was _direct_ _and sudden_. He composed himself.

[Thank you, Reader.]

There was another ping.

[Hey, Tonneruzu no Minasan no Okage deshita is on.]

[Oh! Excellent.]

He would have to get to his… personal time a bit later. He spent the afternoon texting with Reader while watching game shows. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday after all.

Reader had finally stopped replying. He assumed they'd faded out on their couch again. He remembered them fondly from that night, sleeping on his lap.

His thoughts drifted back to the delightful bit of flirtation earlier.

He wondered if Reader did happen to have anything…  _ revealing _ stashed in their closet.

He could certainly think of a few items he wouldn't mind seeing them in…

His imagination went a bit wild. Thinking of them shrugging out of that ridiculous and adorable kigurumi to reveal something far more  _ exposed _ beneath. He shivered and allowed the pearlescent tentacles to gently emerge, running them against one another.

He pictured them, that adorable blush on their cheeks, their softness, the way their laugh sounded when they were surprised. Warm, breathless, and full of life.

Running a finger across their lips, kissing them, running hands and tentacles over their body. The soft gasps and laughs giving way to bitten back moans as he worked his way lower.

He wondered how they would react to having their legs lifted, to tentacles touching them, slipping into them…

He would be careful, of course. Gentle. Hurting them was something he would never want to do. But his mind did wander to leaning over them, pinning them down. The feeling of them around him…

Those gentle smiling lips parting to draw in a tentacle with a moan and-

He shuddered, body arching and tentacles spasming, coiling and writhing around one another. The sensation echoed through him and he felt like he could barely breathe for a moment for how  _ good _ it was.

Oh, that…

He shivered and gave a long sigh.

That was  _ far better _ than images any magazine could provide…

That was…

Oh…

That was more akin to the times he'd imagined Aguri…

He felt a pang, an ache of memory and what could have been. Then he thought of Reader.

He'd missed a chance before…

But…

If he followed this feeling now he knew Reader would suffer the same loss he had…

He thought of their smiling face, their warm laugh, the sparkle in their eyes…

He couldn't risk that. He couldn't hurt them like that.

He rolled over, pulling the blanket over himself. Tomorrow would be another day of class.

He would try to enjoy his time left. Even if he couldn't reach for all that he wanted.


	14. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Korosensei's POV of chapter 39 of Senbazuru.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/48708911)

He was preparing for math class when he heard it.

A shriek and-

_ “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!” _

He wasn’t sure what Irina had had a run-in with but from the sound, it was less dangerous and more upsetting. He looked out the class windows into the hall. The students who were gathered had turned their attention there as well.

Reader flung the door open and shut it behind them looking like a cornered animal.

Oh dear…

What on Earth had they do-

Before he could ask, they ran up to him, “Hide me!”

And before he could protest they had ducked behind him and-

Oh.

OH!

They were under his robe, pressed against his back.

“Reader!” his voice hitched embarrassingly high at their body against his.

They couldn’t just-

This was-

He was going to _ DIE _ .

“Just get her to go away? Please?” their plea was just the cherry on top of this nonsense.

How could he say no?

The door slammed open and Irina stormed over to him, “Where the FUCK is Mx. Reader?”

Oh, she was pissed. What had Reader done? He’d never seen her this red…

“Miss Irina! Language!” 

“Oh don’t fucking give me that.” she turned, pointing dramatically to her skirt which…, “My ass is WET thanks to them and I’m going to-”

_ Oh, well thank you, Reader, those are some lovely lace panties you revealed with your little gambit. _

“Nice panties, Professor Bitch,” Okajima shouted from the back.

“SHUT UP YOU LITTLE PERV!”

_ Nice indeed. _

He felt a slight movement against his back. If they wanted this to work, they needed to stay still…

“Well, I can assure you, they’re not here.”

Irina was fuming. More students arrived, heading to their seats.

“And as you can see...” he continued, “It’s nearly time for class to start.”

She gave a frustrated shout and stormed out of the classroom.

He could feel Reader’s breath against his back, one hand pressed to the back of his shirt. Oh, this was  _ torture… _

“She’s gone,” he said, glancing back.

He felt them duck out from under his robes and he smoothed them down hurriedly. 

“Reader, please, at least  _ ask _ before getting under my robes.” he looked at them as they sheepishly came back around.

“Sorry...” they were blushing brightly. The kids were chuckling.

"Frankly, I'm surprised. I would think you'd be more respectful, after all, you are the one who lectured me about  _ consentacles _ ."

They groaned, “Come on, she’s already going to try to kill me before the day is over at this rate.”

He chuckled, “I suppose you’re joining us until lunch then.”

“I guess so...” they trailed off, embarrassed.

“What did you do, exactly?” Nakamura asked.

“They performed a miracle is what they did!” Okajima exclaimed.

He chuckled, he had to agree with Okajima.

“She’s been complaining about the heat so I put an ice pack in her chair.” they pulled over a rolling chair and took a seat.

How delightful. He was happy to have them observe.

“Bless you...” Okajima said passionately.

“Well,” he chuckled a bit, “If that’s all out of the way, let’s delve into the exciting world of Algebra, shall we?”

He was working on the pop quiz for his next math class while keeping one eye on the P.E. class outside. Reader was running laps while Karasuma was defending himself against several of the children. He was quite proud of how far along they had come…

Oh?

He turned his attention fully to the class as Nagisa made his approach on Karasuma. He watched with interest as Karasuma countered his attack by flinging him.

That was not his normal response. That was the reaction of a man responding to a real threat.

Fascinating.

Reader and Karasuma both ran to the boy, helping him up. 

Shortly after, the class was dismissed. The students approaching Karasuma.

Most likely to ask him to go out with them.

Why didn’t they just ask _ him? _ He’d happily go out with his students.

Perhaps if he made himself available…

He zipped out to the field.

"He even keeps his guard up in his personal life…" Sugaya was watching Karasuma walk away.

"Actually…" Yada sighed, "it's like there's a wall between us. He keeps his distance from us all the time."

"He's super cool and everything and like, in class, he's strict but fair…” Kurahashi said.

Why was _ Karasuma _ the cool one?

He huffed to himself. Maybe he should be more mysterious and aloof…

“But I don't know… I know he cares about us but maybe that's just because he  _ has _ to?" she continued, sounding disappointed.

He approached Kurahashi, "Not at all. True, Mr. Karasuma is an agent sent here to assassinate me. But the spirit of a teacher flows through his veins as well."

The door slid open and a jovial looking man stepped out, arms loaded with bags and containers.

“Hey! Hey! Karasuma!”

Well, well…

Interesting.

This must be a fellow from the ministry that Karasuma had mentioned might be coming…

“Another teacher?” Kurahashi asked.

As the man approached the children, he kept his eye on him, "Yo! My name's Akira Takaoka and I'm here to give your gym teacher a hand! Pleased to meet'cha gang! Now, whaddya say we have some fun?”

Takaoka… 

There was something to him…

A sinister undercurrent.

Was it because of his military background? Or was it something else?

Takaoka was eyeing the students and their henna tattoos, "My, my, don't you all look tough!"

He rolled out a blanket and began to lay ou-

Sugar.

The scent of sugar, cream, fruit, chocolate finally registered to him.

“I brought snacks! Dig in!”

The children began opening the boxes.

"These are eclairs from le Hermes!" Fuwa’s voice was full of reverence.

ECLAIRS?

"And Monchichi’s Swiss rolls too!" Kayano was ecstatic.

SWISS ROLLS?

A bribe, certainly, but he was more than happy to take it.

"Sir, aren't these sorta pricey? Are you sure?" Isogai sounded concerned. Logical for the boy’s background.

"Yeah! Chow down, kiddos! I didn't break the bank so we could stare at these babies all day!" The new teacher took a seat.

He watched as the children settled in and Mx. Reader introduced themself to the newcomer.

"Now!" Mr. Takaoka clapped his hands together, " I don't want you getting the wrong idea here. I'm not trying to bribe you guys, I just want to get to know you quickly. And eating together is the best way to do that!"

"How come you know about all these premium sweets?" Yada asked.

An excellent question. Perhaps this man knew a few places he didn’t have in his own books...

"Honestly, when it comes to me and sugar? It's love.."

Well, he could certainly agree with him on that.

"You're pretty adorable for someone so huge…" Sugaya laughed.

...adorable?

Why didn’t they ever call  _ him _ adorable?

"So, are you going to be Mr. Karasuma’s new assistant or something?" Nakamura asked.

"I'll actually be taking over his classes for the time being. He's got a lot of paperwork to catch up on!"

Time to make his presence known…

Not to mention he really could not resist these sweets any longer…

As he leaned in to investigate, Takaoka noticed him, "Ah! You must be Korosensei! I've heard good things. Please, help yourself! Don't wanna die on an empty stomach." 

Well… if he was  _ offering _ .

The man had good taste. As he made his way through a box of pastries, he listened to the conversation.

"You know, sir, for being colleagues, you and Mr. Karasuma are like night and day," Kimura said.

"He's nice to us and all, but you're like the neighborhood dad," Hara said with a smile.

Hmph.

Neighborhood dad, huh?

Takaoka laughed, "'Dad.' I like the sound of that!"

With a grin he looped his arms around Mimura and Nakamura's shoulders, "We're in the same classroom, so that makes us family, am I right, gang?"

Hm… an interesting interpretation…

"So you're going to take over our PE classes until Mr. Karasuma is caught up?" Nagisa looked up from his eclair.

"Yep! Those are my marching orders from the brass at HQ. But don't worry! Like I said, we're family. Trust 'Daddy'. Leave everything to me!" He thumped his chest in a show of confidence.

‘Trust Daddy’, hm?

The man’s approach was transparent but the children seemed invested…

"Hey, do you know anything about sports, Mr. Takaoka?" Sugino asked.

More loud laughter from Takaoka, "How about I show you kids a thing or two!"

And with that, he and the boys started up a loose game of soccer.

He would need to keep an eye on this fellow…

If nothing else because he wanted to keep his status as the most loved teacher intact.

The bell rang and he quickly polished off the slice of cake he was eating before standing. He should prepare for his next class…

He zipped back to his seat and, shortly after, was joined by his coworkers. 

Irina came in first, leaning against the wall with an ice pack on her neck. Jasmine, sweat, cigarettes, and ice. Easy to locate anywhere on campus.

Mx. Reader entered next, giving a low apology to Irina who dismissed them. They joined him. Fall spice, sweetness, sugar. Always lovely.

Karasuma and Takaoka entered. 

Gunmetal, oil, fresh laundry.

Sweat, sugar, gunpowder, and metal.

Karasuma’s scent held the bitter notes of displeasure.

Because of the man involved or because his job was at risk?

"I was observing your training session, Karasuma, is that all you've managed to teach the students in three months?! It would take a soldier in the army only a month to reach their level." Takaoka crossed the room, leaning on the window sill...

"Well, that's not very realistic for kids though…" Reader’s voice was soft but firm.

Karasuma’s was sharper, his eyes trained on the newcomer, “Don't compare them to career military troops. Don't forget, they're just regular junior high students. If I had worked them harder it would have interfered with their studies "

"Whatever." Takaoka laughed, "It's the future of the world that's at stake here, you know!"

Ah, yes. There it was.

The reveal of his true character.

From the scents of those in the room, he could tell he wasn’t the only one displeased with the man’s approach.

"Look, Karasuma, what you need is some passion." He pulled out a photo from the inside pocket of his jacket, voice dripping with charm, "A drill instructor's gotta put his heart and soul into teaching! That's what makes his students learn even if the training gets a little rough."

The photo he showed was of himself and several army recruits smiling for the camera. 

"Training that's a little rough for adults in that physical condition can be damaging to kids." Reader protested.

"But the alternative is them dyin' in a year. I think a little pain now is a fair price to pay."

Reader was not pleased. It was in their voice, their stance, and their scent.

Takaoka tossed candy onto the desk in front of him, "Ready or not, Korosensei, I'm gonna turn your students into top-notch assassins a heck of a lot faster than Karasuma."

Another bribe, of course. Time to play along. He picked up one of the candy bars, biting into it as Takaoka chuckled, leaving the room.

He chuckled himself, "What a sucker!"

Karasuma sighed, "You realize he just bought you off with candy, right?"

He smirked, "I'm sure that  _ he _ sees it that way."

"Are you sure about this? There's something awfully fishy about that guy." Irina's tone was sharp, irritable.

"Can't say I'm a fan either." Reader looked uncomfortable, "At what point will it be too much, Karasuma?"

Interesting to see that Reader was willing to challenge Karasuma on it.

Karasuma did not seem happy with the situation either.

Well… perhaps he should say something before heading out to lunch…

He moved to the window, opening it, and looked to Karasuma, "You insist on making your own decisions about PE class, so I'm not going to weigh in about this replacement. But, personally, I feel that you, Mr. Karasuma, are the right one for the job."

With that, he made his way to Kyoto. Udon sounded like a good follow up to all of that cake.

He had been grading papers when he heard the commotion. At first, he thought it was usual PE antics until he heard the note of fear in his students’ voices.

He looked outside in time to see Kanzaki fall to a heavy slap from Mr. Takaoka. Surprise slowed his reaction a touch. It was enough time for Reader to approach the new teacher, stance stiff, he could smell their anger from here. He raced to them but arrived just a touch too late.

The man struck them down and grabbed their front, "I'd  _ love _ to see you try!"

"Hey!" It was Karasuma, "Look, they're a fellow teacher, you-"

"Yeah? Well, apparently they sit in on these sessions so that makes them  _ just _ as good as a student. Besides, I'm going easy on them. They are my precious family after all!"

He saw red. He remembered another man raising his hands to one he called family. He remembered how little her life had meant to him.

He laid a hand on Takaoka's shoulder, squeezing.

"No. They're not your  _ family _ . They're my  _ students _ and that is my  _ friend _ ." 

There were cries of relief from the students. He quickly accessed them.

Maehara was being tended by Isogai. 

Karasuma was checking on Kanzaki.

Reader was on the ground, bloodied.

His vision blurred for an instant. A similar scene with a different face. A broken body in a pool of blood-

It was all he could do to keep from breaking the man's neck then and there.

" _ Just what have you been up to while my back's been turned? _ " He growled at this new 'teacher'.

Takaoka turned, a humorless smile on his face. He chuckled, "Sorry, big guy. This isn't your class. You teach your subjects, I'll teach mine. As the new PE teacher, _ I _ have complete authority over their physical education. Nothing I've done falls outside of acceptable corporal punishment."

"On what planet?!" Reader's voice was sharp from the ground but he was happy to hear it. 

If they could be angry, could speak out, then they weren’t too terribly injured.

"I gotta train these kids to kill  _ you _ and that doesn't leave me a lot of time. I don't have the luxury of going easy on them. So what are you gonna do about it? Attack me? Over a dispute about educational philosophy? Cause if that's what this is then you just don't care for the way I  _ teach _ ."

He had taught this way once. Taught with fear and control.

The result was betrayal and suffering. 

The trouble was… he wasn't that man anymore.

That man would have destroyed Takaoka the moment he'd laid hands on him.

And ohhhh it would still be so incredibly easy.

But it would cause greater risk.

Greater trouble.

And he wasn't that man anymore.

No… he would need help with this one.

Karasuma pulled Reader to their feet.

Good.

He needed them away from here before they pulled anything else so  _ incredibly _ stupid.

He overheard Reader snap at Karasuma angrily, "Like  _ fuck _ am I leaving these kids here."

Takaoka turned to the class, "Alright boys and girls! Time to show me how tough you are! Three sets of a hundred squats! Line up quick, you don't want to keep Daddy waiting!"

The children looked to Takaoka and back at him.

But Takaoka was correct.

This was not his subject to teach…

He joined Reader on the steps, Karasuma exited the building with a first aid kit and began to access them. They did not look happy being cared for…

Then again, they hadn’t seemed to mind when he’d done it for them before.

He assumed it was the circumstances.

They pressed a bundle of gauze to their forehead, this tone sharp, "I don't have a concussion, I'm just  _ pissed _ ."

Their face was blood smeared and it was digging at him. Reminding him of things he’d rather not focus on at the moment.

He reached out to the sinks behind the school, dampening a handkerchief before passing it to Reader. They accepted it and began to wipe the blood from their face.

Better…

He felt less on edge with the red out of his vision.

Jasmine and the click of heels. Irina had arrived.

Well then, the party was all gathered. Perhaps now he could ask for help.

He looked to Karasuma, "The man will crush those children, body and spirit." he spoke softly, "He's right, I don't care for it but civility dictates that I let him teach as he sees fit. That's why I'm counting on you. You're on par with this fellow are ya not? I need you to shut him down." 

Reader stared daggers Karasuma’s direction, "If you don't,  _ I will _ ."

"Fat chance of that happening." Irina snarked.

That was something he would not let happen.

"You will  _ not _ ."

They looked at him, their face taut. He could understand the feeling of helplessness, of desperation, of anger- but he would not have them acting rashly.

He was not going to lose them too.

"Mr. Karasuma... Please…" Kurahashi’s voice was as painful as a knife to the heart.

"Karasuma ain't part of our family, doll-face." Takaoka approached her, "Someone needs a lesson."

Karasuma surged to his feet, intercepting the man’s fist.

Good.

"That's enough. If you want to get violent, get violent with me." Karasuma snapped. He was glad to see that the agent had opted to assist.

"Ah! There it is. I was wonderin' when you were gonna step in, old buddy. What's the big deal? Who are you to criticize how I choose to teach? It's like I said: this isn't violence, it's education. I don't want to engage with you through violence. If this is something you an' me need to settle like men, then we do it as teachers. Here's what I propose. Cherry pick your star pupil out of the students you've trained by your methods. Set 'em on me and if their knife so much as grazes my aura, I'll concede that you're a better instructor than me." Takaoka moved to his bag, digging about in it, "No fuss. No backpedaling. I'll pack it in and leave. We won't be using these though." He waved a rubber knife in the air before tossing it over his shoulder, "No, sir, we won't."

His hand reappeared bearing in its grasp a serrated survival knife. He flung it downward, impaling the rubber blade below. He was willing to dull the blade for a show of force.

How accurate to the man’s character.

"When the object is to kill a human being, you can't rely on toys. So we'll be using the real deal."

"This is ridiculous! These kids haven't been trained to take down a real human being, and you know it!" Karasuma’s voice held a measure of shock.

He dismissed the notion of not being a ‘real human being’.

After all, he knew how Karasuma saw him and if he was willing to stand up to this man for the sake of the students? He could call him whatever he pleased.

"Don't get all concerned citizen on me, they ain't gotta kill nothin', just come close. And I'll do you a solid by defending myself empty-handed. What're you waiting for? Pick yourself a champion. Or save us the headache and agree to let me run this show from now on!"

Karasuma retrieved the blade and turned to the children.

If Karasuma had noticed what he had-

Ah yes…

He had.

"Nagisa. You're up."

A natural-born assassin if there ever was one.

Reader moved to rise and he gripped their shoulder with a tentacle, "Trust them, Reader."

They were livid. He could smell the anger rolling off of them… and fear. When they spoke it was through clenched teeth.

"I know you don't think you should step in, but if that boy gets hur-"

Did they really think it would get that far?

"Mr. Karasuma and myself will  _ not _ let that happen. But remember: What is the point of being a teacher if we do it  _ for _ them?"

Nagisa took the blade.

Takaoka laughed, "Oh, come on. This twig? Eyes must be goin' in your old age, Karasuma."

Perfect. An unsuspecting target. Nagisa was in his element.

Irina spoke up for the first time since coming out to watch, "What would possess that dumb bastard to pick him? This is gonna be a train wreck."

Irina had missed the boy’s first attempt. It was natural she would doubt his ability, “Patience. You'll see. Mr. Karasuma has made the right choice. Under the circumstances, I would have chosen Nagisa too. At any rate, this fight will end quickly."

Takaoka whipped off his jacket readying his fists, "Ready when you are!" 

Nagisa took up a stance with the knife out before him first, then dropped his hand to his side, smiling.

There it was…

The boy was frighteningly good at his approach.

When he was chest to chest with Takaoka he swung upwards with the blade.

He had no doubt that, if the boy had true murderous intent, the swing would have clipped the man.

Takaoka stumbled backward in panic. With a solid yank on his shirt, Nagisa had the man on the ground. He swung around, pivoting on one knee until he was flush with Takaoka's back, legs over his, the back of the knife to the man's throat.

"Looks like I win." The statement was brimming with confidence.

He was filled with pride.

What a gem of a student he had.

After a moment of stunned silence, Nagisa, in a panic asked, "Wait, was I supposed to use the back of my knife?"

Time to remove that danger from the field of play… and give a little show of power. He stepped up, taking the knife from Nagisa’s hand, "I'll take that, thank you.” he looked to his coworker, “Now, I do believe that settles it, Mr. Karasuma."

He bit into the blade. Stainless steel, synthetic rubber. A high-quality weapon. Good to be rid of it. He finished it off.

"Outrageous! Giving one of my students a real knife! Have you lost your marbles? He could have been hurt, or worse!"

The kids trotted over as Nagisa untangled himself from his stupefied target. Reader joined them.

Takaoka was certainly not taking his loss well. In fact, it looked like the man might be in shock...

There was relieved and happy laughter and congratulations. Nagisa seemed embarrassed by the attention, "Easy, guys. Let's not make a big deal out of it, okay? I just did what Mr. Karasuma told me to, that's all. Mr. Takaoka is really strong. I knew I wouldn't be able to scare him at all if I didn't really slash at him with the knife."

Maehara stepped up to the boy and slapped him across the face.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"Sorry, uh… I just needed to make sure that was you." He threw an arm around the boy’s shoulders with a grin, "Sincerely, though. That was awesome! That whole ordeal was a total rush!"

He took his leave, coming up behind Karasuma and draping his arms around the man’s shoulders, “If ever a man was unsure of himself right up to the moment of truth, it’s you. 

“Think so, huh?”

He chuckled, “Mmhmmm.”

He didn’t have to think so. He knew so.

There was the sound of movement and he turned his attention back to the children.

Takaoka rose to his feet, face contorting in rage, "You ungrateful punks! I was like a father figure to you! How dare you defy me?! Why celebrate a lucky win like that?! Hope it was worth it 'cause Daddy's about to rip you apart mind, body, and soul!"

Karasuma moved and he placed a tentacle on the man’s shoulder, shaking his head.

Reader, he noticed, seemed torn.

They had better stay where they were.

He already had words for them...

"Not gonna lie, if we went for a round two, I'd lose." Nagisa was looking up at the man he'd just bested, face open and full of his normal gentle demeanor, "But I'll tell you something. Whatever you do, you're not the boss of us. Mr. Karasuma is our PE teacher. That won't  _ ever _ change. When you try to be our dad it just makes us feel like children. Mr. Karasuma may come off as all business, but he treats us as equals. He's approachable, he's cool, and he's got nothing to prove. Thanks for trying, but he's the Class Dad." The boy bowed to Takaoka.

Reader approached, coming to stand next to him. He gave Karasuma’s shoulder a light squeeze.

"The greatest joy of being a teacher, Mr. Karasuma, is when a student provides a clear answer to a question you yourself were troubled by. To teach is to confront such answers head-on." 

He released his hold as Takaoka surged forward at Nagisa. Karasuma intercepted the man easily.

Reader’s eyes were trained on him. He spoke softly, "If a student gives a clear answer the teacher must acknowledge it."

"I'd like to apologize," Karasuma began, looking around at the children, "for all the trouble my colleague has caused you. Don't give him another thought. I'll negotiate with my superiors to have things put back the way they were. I'll get their authorization at gunpoint If need be."

The class stared at him in open adoration.

He couldn’t even find it in himself to be petty.

Karasuma had firmly found his place in E Class with this action.

Takaoka began to protest but a familiar voice cut him off, "You won't need to attempt negotiations."

Aftershave, starch, and a bitter undercurrent of malice.

Asano.

The principal was strolling down the steps from the schoolhouse.

He looked to his boss, "How may I help you?"

Asano waved a hand, " I trust you'll forgive the intrusion. I came to see our new hire in action." He knelt down, looking into Takaoka's face, "And it must be said, your methods were nothing short of a  _ travesty _ ."

Oh?

What an unlikely ally...

"Granted, fear is the engine of education, but a teacher able to instill fear only through violence is nothing but a brute. And I do not employ brutes. Your method is ineffective because the moment you are defeated by greater violence than your own you lose your authority." He stuffed a rolled paper into the man's mouth, "This is your letter of dismissal. You are no longer authorized to teach here. The Ministry of Defense does not call the shots here and I intend to keep it that way. This is my school and my school alone. Remember that."

Takaoka fled the schoolyard.

"I see the principal's as confident as ever in  _ his _ methods." he shook his head.

"That makes one of us at least." Karasuma replied.

He turned to his coworker, confused.

"What if Nagisa said he wanted to be an assassin when he grew up? Could you lead him there with a clear conscience?" Karasuma's tone was soft, tempered with concern, "I don't think he realizes it yet, but he's got what it takes."

An excellent question. Complex, confusing, and a puzzle in it’s own right.

"That's certainly a tricky one, I'll give you that. Alas, such dilemmas come with the territory." he reached out raising up a Morning Glory vine in full bloom, "Every teacher secretly frets over whether the path he sets his students on is the right one. But he points the way to the best future he can see for them. Questions of right and wrong are often open-ended. We ask them but the students must live their own answers." He plucked a blue blossom from the vine, tucking it into his teeth, "The pleasure of seeing them do so is what makes this job exhilarating!"

The students clustered around Karasuma, negotiating going out for food. It was a temptation… but he had something else to attend to.

Kanzaki, Sugino, and Maehara guided Reader back to the schoolhouse. They were putting their first aid skills into practice, bandaging their Health Education teacher’s brow. He waited.

This needed to be handled privately.

Reader was laughing with the children, their anger and concern had evaporated…

Did they not understand the danger of their actions? Why were they so willing to put themselves in harm’s way?

Why couldn’t they _ trust _ their students to handle themselves…

Why couldn’t they  _ trust _ their coworkers to step in...

Why couldn’t they trust  _ him? _

That thought…

That thought made him even more upset than he realized.

Between his concern for his students, his concern for them, and the memories the sight of them had brought back…

He found himself shaking.

As the students returned to their group, he approached, "Mx. Reader, a word?"

He had to speak with them. 

"Sure…" they packed up the first aid kit and vanished inside. He followed.

The heavy scent of copper and salt. Blood from their wound. Antiseptic...

He stepped into the doorway, watching them as they put things away. When they noticed him, they moved to stand near their desk, "What is it?"

"We need to talk about your behavior with Mr. Takaoka today." he was shaking, filled with a mixture of fear and anger…

What… what had come over him…

"What about it?" they seemed almost challenging in their tone.

This was  _ not _ the time.

_ Arms around his waist, breaking his concentration... _

"You shouldn't have tried to interfere. The man is clearly unstable and-"

_ The sound of a mine activating... _

"And those are our students. I wasn't going to just let him do that to them."

_ Feeling her ripped away from him... the second he saw her... _

"You can't protect them if you're injured or killed."

_ She was laying there, broken, blood pooling below her... _

"Like you wouldn't do the same?"

_ She smiled at him... _

" _ I'm _ unkillable, you  _ aren't _ ." 

_ I don't mind being killed by you... _

"That might be true but that won't stop me from throwing myself in front of a bullet for those kids."

_ Because you're worth dying for... _

Not again. It would  _ not _ happen again. He slammed them into the wall, pinning them there, leaning over them. They locked eyes with him, the scent of fear filling the air.

"If your life means so little I will  _ gladly _ relieve you of it."

He could hear their heart pounding. 

It  _ couldn't _ happen again. He wouldn't  _ let _ it. Even if it meant terrifying them into-

A hand came up and wrapped around the tentacle pinning them to the wall and their expression shifted. The scent of relief overtook the scent of fear and they smirked at him, "You're acting like I want to throw myself off a bridge."

"If you refuse to  _ defend _ yourself-"

"Who said anything about refusing to defend myself?" they shot back.

"Look at the position you are in." He growled.

Their expression was calm. Almost smug. When they spoke it was cool but not cold. Steady but not hard.

"’I would never do anything to cause harm to any of you.’ That's what you said to me early on here. And while deception is a key to assassination there's one important fact I know."

What were they getting at?

"And what might that be?"

"I am  _ not _ your target."

The words were simple. Breaking something in him. Reminding him.

He was frustrated... but they were just...

He let them go, stepping back, "That is not something you should rely on, Reader. Betrayal is a common practice."

They...

They laughed, "No shit. You've forgotten something though."

"And what is that?"

That almost smug smile was back but it quickly became something genuine, overflowing with a giddy kind of cheer, "I'm not afraid of you, you doofus."

He faltered.

They...

What?

"Like, look, I know you're scary and all that but like… you look like a prefecture mascot and I've seen you freak out over candy too much to really be scared of you." a tiny chuckle seeped through their grin, "That face was pretty good though. And you were getting  _ real _ Shakespearean with that talk of relieving me of my life."

Oh GOD had he said it LIKE THAT?

He covered his face in embarrassment, "Reader!"

When they spoke next, their tone was gentler, softer, "I get what you were trying to say. The kids put it in perspective for me today. I need to trust  _ all _ of you more. We're all here for the same reason, to teach these kids. I shouldn't take that danger all on myself. I know my life is worth defending." a hand clasped one of his, pulling it back from his face. They looked him in the eye, "But I  _ trust _ you. You haven't given me any reason  _ not _ to."

They...

After all of this...

"You've never dropped me. You've cared for me. You've cared about our students. You…"

They took a breath, the scent of fondness came off of them in waves, sweet and light.

They  _ weren’t afraid _ of him…

They _ trusted _ him...

"You've been  _ wonderful _ . Why would I  _ ever _ think you could hurt me?"

They...

_ Oh, Reader... _

He moved before he could stop himself, pinning them against the wall, albeit far more gently...

He...

What he wouldn't give to just... close this gap...

Kiss them, hold them, tell them everything, just...

Anything...

He stared at them for a long moment before forcing himself to take action.

Tipping his head forward, he pressed his forehead to theirs. Carefully, he took them in his arms, "Thank you for that, Reader…"

They squeezed him tightly.

_ God, he didn't want to let go... _

But he had to.

He stepped back, "Well… ah… I imagine you want to be getting home... " 

"Yeah, probably a good idea… uh… See you tomorrow?"

"Of course!" He fled as quickly as he could.

That had been so close. Too close almost. He needed to be careful. He had to be careful...


	15. Cuddle Fish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A companion chapter to [Senbazuru chapter 47](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/48925271).

The Enkai was going quite smoothly. He’d been secretly topping up Reader’s drink each time they took a sip. After all, they had told the children about his incident in Kyoto. A little payback was perfectly reasonable…

And he was really interested in seeing them tipsy at the very least.

They seemed to be intent on getting Irina and Karasuma drunk. It was cute how focused they were on the task… and lucky for his own plans.

Several drinks in and Karasuma and Irina were already showing signs. Excellent. Reader however… 

Maybe he needed to give them something stronger…

They had been taking photos of the event and he took the opportunity to break out props to spice them up. He’d just affixed some charming cat ears to Irina which she immediately took off and threw to him.

Drunk and still not willing to play with him.

Irina suddenly rounded on Reader.

"I don't get you." she leaned across the table, "You can party but like… why do you dress so conservative at school?"

Oh? Well, then, that was a surprising question. Was Irina interested or simply annoyed?

They laughed, "I just wear the dress code?"

"The dress code is stupid and who cares? We're not the main campus anyway." Irina was dismissive.

"It's still better to abide by it." Karasuma, always the stickler, jumped in.

He remembered Aguri standing on the other side of the glass, showing him those stupid shirts and talking about the students finding them funny….

"Though I have it good authority the last teacher of E Class didn't," he feigned drinking.

"See?" Irina smirked, "You got a lot you could wooooork with. You should dress better."

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted." Reader looked dubious.

"’M taking you shopping. We're gonna get you new clothes." Irina slurred.

Oh, what he wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall for THAT shopping trip...

They laughed, "I'm afraid of what you might pick out."

"I know what I'm doing! Who the fuck do you think dresses half of the world ambassadors? Their mistresses,  _ that's who _ ." Irina sat back looking satisfied.

"Sure. Okay." Reader laughed.

Irina lit up a cigarette, looking pleased with her conquest.

Karasuma loosened his tie.

Oh, now that was very interesting. He would certainly have to keep his camera at the ready.

The man sat back, “So, if the children win this Okinawa trip, we’ll be going with them, of course.”

“Of course,” he chuckled, “They _ will _ need supervision.”

Karasuma sighed as if someone had just suggested he fill out some mortgage forms in triplicate.

“Oh, come on! You can’t really be pissed about the idea of a beach vacation can you?” Irina looked over at him like he was crazy, “It’s literally a beach vacation!”

Reader was sipping their drink, watching. The second the cup hit the table he topped it up.

“It’s a change of scenery. The ideal thing would be to research the location and make plans for killing him.” Karasuma nodded his direction and he chuckled.

As if a change of location would slip him up so badly.~

“Man, you’re tighter than a nun’s asshole.” Reader’s voice was filled with amusement.

He turned to them. Everyone did.

So the alcohol WAS kicking in.

Oh this would be fun.

The slow realization crossing their features was delightful.

He couldn’t keep himself from laughing. Neither could Irina it seemed.

“Sorry, I uh...” Okay, he did feel a little bad when he heard their tone, but…

Honestly, someone needed to tell Karasuma to relax.

Karasuma waved a hand, “I’m just focused on the mission. If I seem uptight, it means I’m doing my job.”

Someone needed to force that man to relax. Perhaps with narcotics.

He shook his head and then paused, noticing Reader staring intently at him.

Their face was a picture of concentration, their eyes going to their cup and back to him.

Ohhhh ho ho…

They’d caught on faster than he expected.

“Man! You must have one  _ hell  _ of an alcohol tolerance, Korosensei.” they were glaring at him.

Adorable.

“One could say that.”

“Hold on, I missed something, what?” Irina asked.

“They think the octopus is immune to alcohol.” Karasuma looked put out, as usual.

“Nurufufufu~ Oh I assure you I am absolutely not immune.”

Irina narrowed her eyes, “Then you’re not-” she abruptly reached over, snagging his drink and sipping it, “Okay, no that definitely is beer.”

He took it back from her. Of course it was beer.

One had to devote attention to prop details!

“You know.” Reader huffed, “That’s kind of lame. This _ is _ a party.”

“Yeah!” Irina was irritated, “You just want us to get shitfaced so you can make fun of us for it.”

Drunk assassins were messy assassins. He was happy to give them any handicap before he actually drank. He was quite good at dodging while drunk, but these people spent every day with him and they were not to be underestimated.

“Oh, not at all!” he chuckled, “I  _ fully intend _ to drink tonight.”

“Which means you haven’t yet.” Karasuma countered.

_ Dammit. _

“That’s not what I meant, I-”

“You’ve been cheating!” Reader pointed at him, a triumphant grin on their face, “You’re  _ pretending _ to drink!”

“Oh my _ god! _ ” Irina glared his way, “You asshole!”

Their time, the owner told them, was ending. He watched in amusement as Reader staggered to their feet.

This should be interesting.

He kept close behind them as they moved to leave. It would be rude to get them drunk and then not at least take care of them.

“So!” he clapped his hands together, “Karaoke?”

“I’m not going,” Irina huffed. 

_ “Why not?!” _

“Because if you’re not drinking then there’s no point.” The blonde poked him hard in the chest, glaring.

Well then, time to make his offer.

“And if I swear to drink when we get there?”

Irina’s eyes narrowed. He chuckled in return.

“Might as well,” Karasuma said, “Look at his face, he’s not going to drop this unless we go.”

“Fine! Whatever!”

Reader laughed and threw up a hand, “Nijikai it is then!”

He couldn’t wait to see what the night had in store…

When they were cozily packed into their karaoke room, Irina rounded on him, “You have to drink before  _ anyone _ sings. That’s the deal.”

“I can certainly do that.” he chuckled.

“So, who wants to sing first?” Reader was focused on the song controller.

“I will. But only if the octopus drinks.” Irina was still glaring at him.

Reader made light of it, “Okay, okay. I think we get it.”

The drinks arrived in short order and he accepted his cassius and orange with a grin.

“A cassis and orange?  _ Really? _ ” Irina didn’t look impressed.

Why did everyone hate his drink choice so much?

“They’re delicious!” he protested.

Irina rolled her eyes, “That’s like a college girl’s drink or something.”

“How do you know that, but you don’t know about driving on the correct side of the road?” Karasuma countered.

“Drinks are important in my line of work! That’s how!” she snapped before focusing her glare back on him, “Okay, go on! Drink!”

Cute how they all seemed to think this would give them an advantage…

He took a sip.

“Come on! You have to do more than lick it-” Irina stopped mid sentence.

Why? Was there something on his face?

He reached up and touched it slightly. Oh…

Yes, keeping form was a bit… difficult like this...

“Dude, are you okay?” Reader was worried.

Reader was always worried.

Reader should relax.

He should relax. Why was he still wearing this tie… he tied it around his brow.

Better...

“Yesh, I’m fiiiiiine...” he assured them.

His coworkers were staring at him. He was starting to feel a little self conscious. What was-

“There is NO way you are drunk after that!” Irina glared at him.

WOW?

Did she think he would FAKE being drunk TOO?

He looked at her, “Miss Irina! That’s so  _ mean! _ ”

Reader started laughing. He wasn’t sure what was so funny but it was adorable.

He loved that laugh. It was a cute laugh.

The best laugh.

Oh, whoop! He dodged out of the way of Karasuma’s knife.

How rude. He was just thinking about-

Another swing.

Well then, might as well let them tire themselves out…

He dodged them easily. He might be drunk but so were they and neither of them could move at Mach 20. It was like being attacked by turtles.

“How the HELL?!” Irina threw her knife at the wall “He’s SHITFACED, how the FUCK is he dodging?!”

Karasuma collapsed onto the sofa, “Search me.”

Oh good. Maybe they’d stop trying to kill him and have some fun instead!

“Iriiiiiiina,” he waved to her, “You said you’d sing if I drank!”

Irina sat back, arms crossed.

“I mean… he did drink...” Reader said, their voice full of amusement. 

Irina and Karasuma both glared their way.

That was mean.

Why were they so mean?

They really ought to just bang and get that tension between them sorted. That might make them both calm down…

He took another sip and laid his head on the table.

“Fucking  _ fine _ ,” Irina grumbled, picking up the controller and flicking through the song options.

She was going to sing! 

“Yaaaay!~” he waved his tentacles, cheering her on.

Irina chose her song, a sultry little number about murder it sounded like.

Of course.

He pulled out his phone. He had to record this...

She was leaning in, caressing Karasuma’s face and stealing his tie.

Good, someone needed to put it on his hea- oh…

Irina looped the tie around  _ his _ neck and pulled him forward. From this angle he certainly had an excellent view-

Knife!

He chuckled, slipping out of her grasp. 

She tossed Karasuma his tie and rounded on Reader…

Ohhhhh…

She perched on the arm of the sofa where Reader was sitting, running her fingers through their hair…

He supposed he should feel jealous, but honestly this was an  _ excellent  _ show. Irina’s assets and Reader’s look right now?  _ Priceless. _

He found himself staring.

Irina broke away from them and got them clapping in time to the music. When the song ended he burst into cheers, clapping.

Having a globe trotting seductress as a coworker was always interesting, but tonight, “That was fantastic! Assassination and performance. How exciting~”

Another round of drinks arrived.

Good, maybe his coworkers could catch up...

“So,” Reader looked up, “Who’s next?”

His time to shine!

Thank goodness he’d planned ahead with the props.

It was a simple enough song and a perfect time to pester Irina and Karasuma.

He took the opportunity to get several photos, whipping out props, posing his coworkers and such before they could register what happens.

These would be  _ excellent _ for the yearbook.

One more costume change and he was back on the sofa like nothing had happened.

“That was fucking  _ great _ .” Reader laughed, “But I’m definitely going blind now.”

They had  _ ENJOYED _ IT?!

This night was just getting better and better!

“Nurufufufu~”

“What the HELL was that?” Irina snapped.

Reader was grinning, “#SELFIE by the Chainsmokers, _ duh _ .”

“Alright, I think food would be a good idea.” Karasuma announced.

Oh. Food did sound good, actually…

Karasuma made his way to the phone and looked back at them, “What does everyone want?”

"I've always liked takoyaki." Reader said, lifting their drink to their lips.

"So you like octopus balls?" Irina smirked.

Reader choked and nearly spat their drink across the table.

Ohhhhh…

Before he could begin to register much embarrassment, Reader turned to him, “Would that be cannibalism?”

“What?!”

Irina started laughing, “Let’s get a party platter, it’s got everything,”

“Oooo! And some of these swiss rolls!”

Karasuma placed the order and took his position back on the couch. Now then…

“So, who’s next?”

There was silence. Well, if no one else was going to step up...

“I could always go again!”

“NO!” Irina and Karasuma were glaring daggers at him. 

Reader, meanwhile, was laughing their ass off.

A win in his book.

They took a breath and shook their head, looking over at Karasuma, “Why don’t you sing something?”

Oh?

Now that would be camera fodder for sure.

The man’s response was immediate, “Pass.”

“Oh, come on!” Reader was glaring at him.

“It’s a party! Like look, that whole thing was terrible-” 

How dare Irina! This was fun! 

“I think it’s been fun-”

She ignored him, “But we might as well try to enjoy ourselves, right?” she leaned in, smirking, taking the ends of his tie in her hands and pulling them forward gently, “Do it for me?~”

Well… that was interesting.

Underneath the gunmetal, oil, and pressed laundry scents of Karasuma’s general smell was something quite different.

Perhaps Irina’s seduction was working better than she thought.

He had to commend him for not showing it though.

“If I don’t, you’re going to hound me for the rest of the night, aren’t you?” he stared her down with his usual exasperated expression.

She gave him a grin.

“Fine.” he took the controller.

This would take awhile. He was sure of it.

“In the meantime,” he pulled out a pack of cards, props always did come in handy with things like this... “We could play some games. I imagine it will take Karasuma a few moments to decide on something.”

“What the hell,” Irina leaned forward, “We’ve got food coming anyway.”

Reader leaned in, “What are we playing?”

“Blackjack.” Irina spoke up, “‘S easy enough drunk.”

Irina was definitely cheating. There was no way she was winning this many rounds. 

The food arrived.

“Figured anything out yet?” Reader was smirking at Karasuma, who just sipped his drink sullenly, “I’ll take that as a no.”

“You know, we could pick out a song for you.” Irina grinned at him.

Oh that was a GENIUS idea!

“Oh, we COULD!” 

Karasuma didn’t think it was.

Of course not.

“No if I’m going to embarrass myself,  _ I’m _ picking the music.”

Why did Karasuma have to be such a stick in the mud about these things. This was fun. They were supposed to be blowing off steam!

“You never even got into the party mood!” he tapped the tie around his head, “You should join the party.”

“Yeah, god stop being such a tightass Karasuma.” Irina smirked, “You might have one but that doesn’t mean you have to  _ be _ one.”

It was delightful to watch this stern military man squirm, even if he was being boring. Bothering him was practically becoming a hobby.

Reader grinned at him, “It’s fun, come on.”

“Aw, what the hell...” Karasuma tied the tie around his head.

NOW it was a party!

Karasuma sighed, “Let me get this over with...”

He sounded like a man on his way to the guillotine. Not a man about to sing…

That rhymed.

He wondered if he could make a song out of that.

The opening notes of “Don’t Stop Me Now” started up and he was so, so thankful he’d thought to bring his camera and phone. There was no way he was missing out on recording this.

He snaked a tentacle out the door and retrieved a tambourine from the rack in the hall to join in.

_ Now _ the man was enjoying the party. Slight flirting with Irina, Karasuma even was playful with  _ him _ . 

There was a first time for everything he supposed.

He thought that, after the others’ performances he would be prepared for whatever Reader had up their sleeve.

He was wrong.

He was so wrong.

The second the music started up their demeanor changed.

They had flirted with him before though he’d noticed that the majority of the time it was over the safe distance of text messages.

They drew Irina into performing with them. 

Perhaps this was the real assassination attempt. Irina and her own raw seductive energy AND Reader with their charms and sweetness? He was  _ dying _ .

He took the opportunity to take several photos of course.

For… reasons.

By the time Irina started shedding her jacket he was already a mess.

But when Reader slid out of their overshirt…

He didn’t even move as it fell across his head.

This…

This was going to be in his head for awhile… he could tell.

Reader abruptly slammed their hands on the table, eyes on his, grinning in a… distinctly hungry sort of fashion. Their body moved to the music.

He could think of a few other scenarios where he’d like to see them move like that…

Irina began to feel them up and, for the first time that night, he was a bit jealous. He would love to have his hands on them like that…

Irina spun them towards the table-

They nearly fell right into the appetizers. He pushed them gently back up and they smirked at him, winking.

HE WAS GOING TO DIE, THIS WAS TOO MUCH.

He really could barely focus on the song after that.

They had winked at him. They were dancing like that.

And he couldn’t help but notice the way their eyes kept flicking to him as they sang.

As the song ended, Irina kissed them deeply.

He was going to implode. The world wouldn’t be destroyed in March. It was going to happen right now because he was going to die on the spot.

When he finally registered that the song had ended, he cheered.

Reader flopped onto the couch next to him.

Oh, this was torture…

They leaned against him and looked up, cheeks pink, eyes bright, with a huge smile.

Their overshirt was still on his head. He reached up and retrieved it, passing it to them, “I believe this belongs to you.”

Anything to distract from-

As they sat back and accepted it, he noticed their shirt.

They grinned and sat back, stretching it to make it easier to read.

DANGER. HANDS OFF. DO NOT OPERATE UNTIL THIS TAG IS REMOVED BY:

There were blank spaces for signatures and IMPORTANT stamped over it.

Oh he’d certainly  _ love _ to remove the tag in question.

He chuckled, shaking his head.

Why did they have to be so cute?

As the night wound down it found the four of them taking a break from music. 

“So, wanna do another round of Blackjack?” Reader piped up, looking over at Irina, “I don’t know what else to sing.”

Irina scrambled to pick up a card from the table. She was…

She was definitely drunk.

The alcohol was wearing off for him but, of course, the rest of them were still quite inebriated.

It was amusing.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on, I know what we need to do… We’re gonna play Suck and Blow."

He choked on the soda that he’d ordered.

THEY WERE GOING TO PLAY _ WHAT?! _

“What?” even Reader didn’t seem to know what she was talking about.

"You gotta pass the card using your mouth." Irina smirked and held the card up to her lips, "You know… you suck in air to keep it close to your mouth like this"

She sucked on, keeping the card to her mouth with air only, turning to the side to showcase what she meant.

Oh-

OH!

"Oh wait is this is that one gam- " Irina pressed the card to their lips with hers and Reader took it gently, making a face.

They looked to him.

He wasn’t going to survive this night.

They leaned in and…

God, the scent of sweetness and persimmons was overpowering…

He accepted the card.

OH WAIT, now he had to pass it to Karasuma.

This would be hilarious.

He leaned over.

Karasuma didn’t look amused, "I don't think so."

"Oh come on Karasuma!" Irina huffed.

"Yeah man, it's not like you're actually kissing anyone." Reader laughed, "Come on!"

Oh if only...

He let out his breath, holding up the card and giving Karasuma a look, "It's a party!" 

To his surprise and utter delight, Karasuma finally agreed. He heard the distinct sound of a camera snap and made a note to ask Reader for a copy of that photo later.

Maybe he could send a Christmas card to Karasuma with it on the cover.

Karasuma leaned over to Irina…

Oh he couldn’t resist.

He whipped the card out from between their lips.

“Hey!” Karasuma protested but all argument was cut off by Irina kissing him again.

Good, the two needed to break the tension on that particular situation-

A weight landed in his lap. Reader had fallen back laughing. Their face was red and they looked up at him with a bright smile.

Adorable.

"Reader, you're drunk."

"Uh huh!" they agreed, their laughter bubbling up.

They stared up at him, their smile relaxing into something a little more tender. 

They reached up and touched his cheek...

O h...

The phone rang, startling him.

“I’ll get it!” they jumped up and answered it. “Time’s up guys!”

He turned to look at their other coworkers. Karasuma and Irina seemed to have been having fun. They had pulled away from one another, both red faced.

"Sanjikai?" Reader asked from the door.

How much more could these three take, he wondered.

"Uh?" Irina tipped her head.

"SANJIKAI!" Karasuma cheered.

Well… if they insisted!

"I know just the place!"

He couldn’t  _ wait _ to see how the patrons of Azusa’s bar would react to this.

Reader was laughing, “Man, this is the best. You guys are the best.”

“Well, yeah, but I mean what? You don’t have friends you like better?” Irina looped her arm around their shoulders.

“Uh...” they faltered, “Not really?”

"How do you not have any friends?" Irina asked in surprise.

Reader was quick to protest, "I have friends! They’re just online or back home. I don't get out a lot here."

" _ How long _ have you been here?" Karasuma raised an eyebrow

"Like uh… three or four years?"

…

Alone in Japan for three or four years?

"How do you not get out a lot for three or four years?" Irina stared at them.

They gave a weak little shrug.

Suddenly, many things clicked into place with clarity for him.

Simple, sparse apartment. Barely any photos of family and friends.

They had always been free when he’d asked to go places. Even if was during a busy day.

"I guess I uh… choose not to go out a lot."

"No wonder you don't have friends! You gotta socialize!" Irina gestured.

There was the increasing scent of salt and tang from them.

"...It's hard."

"S not that hard you just talk to people." She shrugged.

Tears were welling up in their eyes.

Irina stepped in before he could.

"Hey! Heeeey you don't gotta cry.  _ We're _ your friends!" Irina leaned on them.

He reached out, putting a reassuring hand on their shoulder.

They started wiping at their face in frustration, "I just… I don’t know, everyone leaves. And ‘m always left picking up the pieces…"

He remembered midterms in sudden, perfect clarity.

_ “They’re our students too. And if you leave we’ll be the ones picking up the pieces.” _

Irina hugged them, "So? Fuck em. Take those pieces an’ make somethin’ better."

He rounded behind them, draping his arms over their shoulders and nuzzling into their hair for a moment before looking at them. They laughed a little through their tears.

Good-

What-

Karasuma had his arms around all three of them, one hand patting at Reader’s head.

They began to sob.

He held them tightly.

He didn’t want to let go…

After a few moments they scrubbed at their face, “Okay, ‘kay.” they shrugged them off, “Let’s go... uh... Where ‘re we going?”

He chuckled, “Oh, a little pub I know.~”

It was going to be an interesting night…

The group was distracted for several minutes by a claw machine. He considered trying for it but it was too much fun watching his still tipsy coworkers make the effort.

“Uh… hang on guys...” Reader said as the group started moving again.

Oh dear.

He knew that particular stance, he’d seen it at the bar often enough.

He whipped out a bag pushing it into Reader’s hands before 

Ah… so that was certainly the limit then…

He patted their back gently.

In a pause, they managed to speak, “I uh… I think ‘m gonna have to sit out the sanjikai guys. Sorry…”

He continued patting their back lightly, “You’re ill, it's perfectly reasonable.”

Now… what about the other two…

“What do you two plan to-”

Before Karasuma could say anything, Irina spoke up, “Nightcap.” she looked over at him with a challenge.

Karasuma sighed, “I guess we’re going for a nightcap.”

Well then… interesting. 

“Alright, I’ll see Reader home then. Is that alright?”

They made to speak and immediately threw up again, giving a thumbs up instead.

Well…

This was going to take awhile...

Oh dear…

Reader ran inside and immediately to the toilet where he heard them lose the rest of their dinner. Poor thing. They probably needed a fresh change of clothes.

He slipped into their room retrieving a pair of pajama bottoms and a shirt. He chuckled at the slogan "FIGHT PEACEFUL". It certainly suited them.

He went to the door and heard them gargling, "Reader… are you alright?"

"Threw'up."

Carefully he offered the clothing through the door as it was slightly ajar. After a few moments the door opened and they were standing there in their pajamas looking pink faced and smiling just a bit at him.

Adorable…

Without warning they stepped forward, hugging him tightly around the middle. The sweet scent of their fondness was tantalizing.

They needed to rest.

"Let's get you to bed…"

They looked up at him, eyes sparkling and grin crossing their face. They tugged gently as his arm, "You should go to bed too." 

How cute… still wanting him to get rest even-

"Sleep with me. We can be cuddle buddles-" they gapsed, eyes going wide, "Oh my god! You're a  _ cuddle fish! _ "

S-sleep with them?

SLEEP WITH THEM???

His face was burning.

They grinned up at him, rambling drunkenly, "Eyyyy, I know that face. You're embarrassed. You don't have to be embarrassed but it is really cute…"

They were one to talk, rocking on their heels, cheeks pink and hair amuss. Ohhh if they could see themself right now...

He chuckled, "Come on…"

He should tuck them in and quietly sneak out. Or at least sleep in the living room. That would make sense..

They flopped into their futon with a giggle and he pulled the blankets up over them. With that he turned to leave-

"You're not gonna stay?" Oh god… that tone just...

He looked back, wide eyed. They were sitting up, practically pouting.

They flopped back on the futon and held out their arms, looking up at him, "I wanna cuddle fish."

The war was lost. There was no way he could resist those puppy dog eyes and that cute plea.

He laid down gently next to them and they immediately rolled, pressing their face directly into his chest with a happy sound. Their arms encircled him.

This…

This was precious and he felt like his heart could burst from it.

"You are going to hate this  _ so much _ in the morning," he whispered, amused.

They would be so embarrassed to realize what had happened. He couldn't _ wait _ to see that.

"No, ‘m gonna love it cause you're comfy." They protested, “‘N I like seeing your smile…"

He froze for a moment on hearing that, then chuckled.

Oh, he...

He loved them…

They peeked an eye up at him from his shirt front,"I like your laugh too, s’nice…"

"I enjoy yours too." He admitted

They stared at him like he'd just promised them a lifetime supply of chocolate, _"Oh my god???_ _Thank you!_"

He laughed, "You're  _ adorable _ ."

They stared up at him, the dopiest smile on their face, cheeks pink, and eyes filled with adoration. The sweet scent of their fondness was almost overwhelming.

If he told them now…

He could only imagine how overjoyed they would be…

"Reader…"

"Yea?"

He couldn't… 

They would lose him either way, but it would be better to not take that step…

Their brow furrowed, looking up at him. They reached up and patted his cheek. It took everything he had not to lean into that touch.

"’Ey, you know you're really great and 'm glad I took this job.’ S the best job. You're the best. Even if your gonna blow up the Earth. You're still the best. An' not many people can say that y'know?" 

The best.

They thought he was the best?! 

He wanted to just…

There was a lot he wanted to do right now...

They were starting to nod off, "’N you always smell nice too..."

He chuckled. If they only knew how lovely their scent was…

Gently, he brushed their hair back, placing a chaste kiss to their forehead. Would that he could do more…

But for now… this was heaven.


	16. Post Cuddle Fish NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little chapter that is post Senbazuru's Cuddle Fish chapter and NSFW.

He stayed there, cradling them against him. They were snoring very softly. A quick selfie because he absolutely wanted to remember this later...

When he was sure that they were _ definitely _ asleep, he carefully slipped out of their arms, replacing himself with a pillow to keep them asleep.

He'd overdone it a touch tonight with the alcohol. Even after everything he still found himself a bit buzzed. He shook his head.

Reader was nuzzled deeply into the pillow he'd given them, a smile plastered on their face.

He snapped a photo. He would have to tease them about this tomorrow.

While he was here though…

He took stock of their room, he'd seen much of it already but…

He eyed the closet and dresser.

Maybe he could get more ammunition.

He peeked into the closet, poking through items hanging up. More ridiculous shirts of course, several simple work outfits, some simple formal wear. All quite tame and-

O h-

That certainly was NOT tame. One item hanging up was sheer and absolutely not something one would wear outside of a bedroom.

He exited the closet and shut the door behind him, leaning against it as if he were being chased.

His eyes fell on Reader. 

That put some…_ images _ into his head.

Okay, _ distraction _ . What about this diary they had mentioned…? He had promised not to read it but it would be delightful to know where it is and terrorize them with the thought that he _ might _have.

Carefully, he slid open the top drawer of their dresser. More clothing of course, some very cute casual items, and-

What…

What was that?

He pulled out something heavy and bright purple.

He nearly screamed, shoving it back into the drawer and slamming it shut.

_ That was a sex toy. _ That was a sex toy shaped like a _ tentacle _.

He looked back, they were still asleep, face buried in the pillow.

Ohhhhhkay...

The room smelled like them, they had been quite…forward tonight and…

He could _not _ lay back down with them like this.

Not at the moment.

He exited the bedroom, moving to the couch and laying back on it.

Something light was draped across the back of the cushions. Carefully, he picked it up.

Oh… it was their overshirt…

Everything was conspiring against him tonight...

He buried his face in it for a moment. The overwhelming scent of fall and the heady scent of persimmons clung to it. 

It was so _ quintessentially them _. 

He sighed, parts of him aching with need now.

They had been so… _ much _ tonight.

Not that he was complaining. It has been delightful but…

Oh but…

He allowed two of the pearlescent tentacles to manifest below, coiling one around the other. He was buzzed still and he was… he needed…

He _ needed _ to get this out of his system.

Carefully, he thrust his tentacle through the coil of the other, Reader’s scent was strong here and he thought about the feeling of them pressed against his chest. He found himself imagining them as they had been with Irina at karaoke. What if they hadn't stopped at that overshirt? What if they had kept going? He trembled at the idea of them sliding out of their clothes… maybe climbing into his lap… 

Had they _ used _ that toy?

Did they…

Did they have it because of_ him? _

He wondered what they would think of the real thing.

Them straddling his lap and being able to sink a tentacle gently into them, watching them gasp and moan. 

Oh, how he _ wanted _them.

They were so _ close _ here. He imagined waking them up gently with a kiss, tenderly running hands over them, bringing them to with warmth and touch. They would wake up slowly, coming to realize it was him touching them, a look of surprise and adoration on their face.

Gently undressing them. He tightened the coil around his other tentacle, imagining their face flushed and panting and-

He gasped, shuddering-

_ Right as the bedroom door opened. _

Reader ran to the bathroom.

WHAT KIND OF FUCKING TIMING DID THEY HAVE?!

WHAT KIND OF TIMING?!

He sat up instantly, setting their shirt aside, shivering in the wake of what he'd done. His body was still not quite finished with it's spasms and he could see colors flicker lightly across his arms.

He could hear Reader throwing up again.

He took a moment to breathe and try to calm down. He didn't _ think _ they had seen.

He_ hoped _ they hadn't seen…

He went to the door, "Reader… Are you alright?"

"Mmhmm…" he heard water running and then they exited.

They hadn't seemed to have noticed…

Good.

"Let's get you back to bed…”

They nodded, clearly still half asleep.

This was absolutely mortifying. He was dying inside. WHY had he decided to do this?

He lead them into their room and tucked them in.

Before he could turn to leave he found himself dragged down to the futon, their face pressed back into his front again.

Maybe they really were an assassin, because this was absolutely killing him.

Resigned to his fate, he looped an arm around them, resting his chin on their head.

It was going to be a long, embarrassing night.


	17. I’m Not Your Job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Irina and Karasuma's nightcap and where it went. Companion chapter to [Chapter 47 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/48925271).

Okay so the nomikai was a bust for assassination and the whole thing had been probably the cheapest outing she’d been on. But she was having fun.

The tab was settled… somehow, between the four of them. For once this night she was grateful the octopus was functional after drinking.

As they headed into the street, Karasuma buttoned up his shirt. Well… that was a shame really. The man had one hell of a body.

One HELL of a body…

Not a bad kisser either...

Reader was laughing, “Man, this is the best. You guys are the best.”

God, they were so cheesy. So very, very cheesy.

“Well, yeah, but I mean what? You don’t have friends you like better?” she smirked, putting an arm around them.

“Uh... “ their face fell just a bit, “Not really?”

What?

Jesus, they really  _ were _ lame.

"How do you not have any friends?"

"I have friends!" they protested, "They’re just online or back home. I don't get out a lot here."

" How long have you been here?" Karasuma raised an eyebrow.

"Like uh…" they gave a little shrug, "three or four years?"

What the fuck? Who the fuck lives somewhere that long and has no friends?

"How do you not get out a lot for three or four years?" she stared at them.

They gave another shrug and seemed to notice that everyone was staring at them.

Quietly, they trailed off, "I guess I uh… choose not to go out a lot."

Really? That was ALL?

"No wonder you don't have friends! You gotta socialize!" she said.

"...It's hard." 

How was it even hard? 

"S not that hard you just talk to people." She shrugged.

And just like that, Reader was crying.

What? Well, she’d probably cry too if she didn’t have friends.

It was  _ really _ killing the vibe.

And she  _ kinda _ felt bad.

"Hey! Heeeey you don't gotta cry. We're your friends!" she leaned on them gently.

"I just… I don’t know, everyone leaves." they were wiping at their eyes, "And ‘m always left picking up the pieces…"

She froze internally. That… that was familiar. She hugged them, "So? Fuck em. Take those pieces an’ make somethin’ better."

And suddenly the octopus was joining in and Karasuma.

God this was cheesy. This was beyond cheesy…

But…

It felt good…

Even with the octoperv here.

Suddenly Reader squirmed out of their group, "Okay, ‘kay. Let’s go... uh... Where ‘re we going?”

“Oh, a little pub I know.~” Korosensei chuckled.

A pub the octopus knew? What the hell was that going to look lik-

OH MY GOD.

THAT WAS A CLAW MACHINE.

HELL YES.

"Wait, wait, that's a claw machine! We gotta do it." she practically dragged them over.

It was stupid but god it looked like fun right now.

They all worked to try to get one of the… what were these things? They were fucking cute. But like… what was it?

Oh my god, it was a rabbit with a gun.

She _ had _ to have it.

“Karasuma, please?” she put on her best pout, “Please?”

He sighed, “Fine, one more try.”

The other two were plastered to the sides, trying to give him tips while he operated the machine.

Nerds.

Karasuma was focused, brows pinched together the way they did when he was writing up reports.

What a square…

It was fucking hot.

“HA!” he exclaimed suddenly, reaching down to retrieve the plush.

With a smirk, he passed it to her.

This…

Guys gave her things. Cars, expensive clothes, priceless gems, vacations, dinner in the best restaurants in the world…

But this…

It was a different feeling.

She couldn’t help but grin and hug the thing.

The octopus, satisfied with their win, gestured for them to follow and began heading down the street. She fell in step next to Karasuma, trying to get this stupid smile under control. But she couldn’t help but glance at him.

Was that a smile? Like a little one?

He looked relaxed…

It was-

The sound of vomiting cut off her train of thought. She looked back with a sigh.

Good god. 

Reader had the worst fucking timing.

Their face was in a bag. The octopus was hovering nearby, concerned.

Way to ruin the mood…

“I uh… I think ‘m gonna have to sit out the sanjikai guys. Sorry…”

Shit.

If half the party bailed Karasuma probably would too.

Like fuck she wanted THAT to happen. She had a square to seduce.

Korosensei shook his head, “You’re ill, it's perfectly reasonable.” he turned to them, “What do you two plan to-”

“Nightcap,” she spoke before Karasuma could answer and gave him a smirk.

_ Go on, say no to this face buddy. _

He sighed, “I guess we’re going for a nightcap.”

_ YES. _

“Alright, I’ll see Reader home then.” Korosensei looked at them, “Is that alright?”

They threw up in response, giving a thumbs up.

“Yeah, uh, have fun with that.”

A short while later found them at another bar. Someplace with HUB in the name. It was rather loud and designed like an Irish pub. The conversation had pretty much died after they’d left the others. Which she’d expected. He was the strong silent type most of the time anyway. He probably needed a little more alcohol to open up.

“Hey, Karasuma…”

He looked over. His tie had, at some point, ended up back under his collar.

“You’ve got a set of pipes on you.” she smirked, “Wouldn’t have pegged you for a singer.”

He gave a bit of a shrug, taking a sip of his drink, “I might have been to karaoke before...”

“Yeah?” she chuckled, “I guess it makes sense that an agent for the Ministry of Defense has a lot of secrets…”

He didn’t respond.

“I’d love to hear about some of them sometime.” she trailed her fingers up his arm.

He glanced down at her fingers, “Don’t do that.”

She huffed, taking a drink, “You seemed fine with it before.”

“Not…” he tensed just a touch and sighed, “Not that. Don’t…”

He seemed frustrated, grasping at words.

“Don’t what?” she cocked a brow at him.

His voice went quiet, “Don’t put on that show with me.”

She stared at him for a long moment.

Don’t what?

“You’re better than that.” he took another drink.

“What?!” she crossed her legs, leaning on the bar, “Who do you think you’re talking to? This is my  _ job _ . I’m  _ good  _ at it. I’m  _ proud _ of it.”

There was a long moment of silence from him, “I’m not your job, Irina.”

She faltered.

He was right, of course.

He wasn’t her target. He wasn’t the job.

But he was a challenge.

“Even assassins need practice,” she said dismissively.

There was something in his expression around his eyes…

Did…

Was he hurt by that?

Well, fuck him.

She downed her drink and signaled the bartender for another one.

“I know,” he replied, “I’m training a class of them.”

She rolled her eyes and pulled out her cigarettes, lighting one up, “Like you’re the only teacher here.”

“I’m not,” he said, matter of factly.

“You were more fun during karaoke,” she grumbled.

“You only say that because you managed to kiss me.” he took another drink, “Did Reader win a bet on that?”

“What?” she snorted, “We don’t have any bets running on you or I would have had them pay up then.”

His eyes drifted downwards. Not to her chest, but to her cigarettes.

“You want one?” she offered the pack.

There was a slight pause, then he shook his head, “No. Quit that ages ago.”

“You actually smoked?” 

Color her surprised.

“When I was young and stupid.”

Jeez did this man EVER think about what he said?

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” she demanded.

“Nothing. Unless you consider yourself young and stupid.” the corner of his mouth tugged a bit…

Was he fucking making fun of her?

Was he making a JOKE?

She was too dumbfounded to respond.

“Hey, how about we get out of here?” he looked over at her.

“Uh… sure?” she downed her drink, “Why?”

“Got another place in mind…” he got up and lead the way out.

What the fuck did that mean?

She followed, curious.

A few minutes walk later found them in a quieter, more secluded bar. Karasuma grabbed a booth in the corner.

The place was dimmer, cozier, quieter.

Definitely seemed like a him sort of place.

Drinks were ordered and she sat back looking at him, “So… what do you mean I’m better than that?”

He raised a brow, “You’re still on about that?”

“Yeah, I am. What did you mean?” she folded her arms across herself, giving him a sullen look.

She was going to get an explanation.

“You’re smart, you’re skilled, and you’re talented at what you do.” he stated, “But you try to open every door in your life with the same key. That’s not how life works. And I think you know that.”

He took a drink.

She stared at him in shock, “What the fuck do you think-”

“Spare me the theatrics, Irina.” he said bluntly, “You’re beautiful. There’s no denying that. But you’re more than that. Hiding it is a disservice to yourself.”

She faltered, feeling a blush rise in her cheeks, “How would you know? You’re always looking down at me and telling me off!”

“You don’t know how to function in a classroom with students.” he shrugged, “That doesn’t mean you’re not smart. That much is clear by how much the children have improved under your teaching which is impressive given the octopus sets a high standard to reach.”

These compliments were… something. They were compliments but they felt almost underhanded in places.

She huffed, taking another drink and mulling it over.

“...Thanks, I guess.”

He gave the barest chuckle, hiding it behind his glass.

“What are you laughing at?”

“You’re cute when you lose.” he downed his drink and she stared at him in surprise.

Had she heard that right?

“I’m cute huh?” she smirked, leaning forward, making sure the girls were front and center.

He sighed, “And then you ruin it.”

“What?” she scowled, “What does that mean?”

He gestured, mimicking putting on a mask, “You put on a show.”

“Who says this is a show?” she asked, reaching across to brush her fingers across his.

For once in her flirting, he didn’t pull away. For half a second, a look of indecision came across his face.

He finally drew his hand away, “How would I know?”

_ Ow. Fuck you square. _

She sat back, looking away, “Maybe if you weren’t so dense…”

Another round of drinks and the alcohol was really starting to settle in.

He gave her a look, “Well, you’re not driving home.”

She chuckled, “Like you’d let me drive anyway. I drive on the wrong side remember?”

He took a drink, “Maybe you’d drive on the right side if you were drunk.”

“Thought I was supposed to drive on the left.” 

To her surprise, he laughed at that.

It was nice to hear for once.

“Hey… you wanna get out of here?” she asked, quietly.

He gave a nod, “We need to get you home anyway.”

As they left the bar she took his hand. He turned, looking at her in surprise.

God, he was dense.

His expression was questioning.

_ Don’t put on a show… _

“What is it?” he asked quietly. Her long silence seemed to worry him.

“I’m not good to drive home and I don’t want to take the train,” she replied.

There was a long pause.

Was she going to have to spell it out for him?

“Maybe we could get a room?”

He gave a sigh, looking put out.

“I’m serious.” she said, “I mean look, do you want to pass out on the train?”

He made a face, considering.

“Please?” she cringed at the way she asked it.

It sounded naive… stupid…

He looked at her for a moment, “Alright.”

Was THAT what worked on him? A special brand of stupid?

God, why was she trying so hard anyway?

He was right, he wasn’t her job…

But…

It  _ was _ fun...

He checked them into the hotel with all the composure of a man on a business trip. It was impressive that he could do it while tipsy. He was almost as good as she was at staying competent while drunk. Well… mostly competent.

Fake competent.

She’d zoned out, admiring the lobby and came to when he tapped her shoulder.

A room with the square. This would be an easy catch, surely.

Up the elevators.

Was she glancing at him more? Was she distracted? What was going on with her?

And why was he so…

Why was he like that?

The doors opened and he lead her to their room.

It was a nice room, more spacious than she expected and-

There was one bed…

She looked at him in surprise but he showed no signs of this being odd or unexpected.

Well, well, was the square coming around?

He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on one of the chairs, loosening his tie.

Oh… well then.

She perched on the edge of the bed, watching him as he pulled his belt loose and untucked his shirt.

So he  _ could _ be seduc-

He climbed into the bed. Fully clothed.

_ Was he fucking serious? _

“You’re going to stay up?” he asked, eyeing her.

“Guess not.” she sighed.

She removed her jewelry and her own jacket, climbing in next to him.

She reached out for a moment, then paused.

_ Don’t put on a show… _

Carefully, she wrapped an arm around him.

She didn’t expect him to turn to her and wrap an arm around her in return. She found herself pressed against his chest. Clean linen, alcohol…

Tipping her head up, she grazed a kiss on his cheek. His eyes caught hers and there was a long moment where she thought he might throw her out of the bed.

Instead, he leaned in and gave her a long, slow kiss.

Thank  _ god _ , she was _ getting _ somewhere.

“Goodnight, Irina.”

“Uh…”

He pulled her close.

What…

What had just happened?

She was trying to figure that out when she realized that he’d fallen asleep.

What the fuck?

What guy fell asleep on HER?

She rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, “Are you kidding me?”

As much as she grumbled though… it was kind of nice being held like this. By a guy she didn’t need to kill or manipulate.

A guy she…

Well, that was  _ definitely _ the alcohol talking.

There was no way she  _ liked  _ the square. This was  _ just  _ a good time. A nice challenge. That’s all. And she’s won the first play here. Maybe she could wear him down…

She drifted off thinking about what he’d said earlier.

_ Don’t put on a show… _


	18. Target Acquired

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korosensei's POV of [Chapter 53 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/49156781)

They hugged him tightly, "I love you, you stupid octopus!"

He couldn’t resist. Had had to tease them, especially after their slip up on the phone last week, "Oh? Do you now?~"

They pulled away. Fear, embarrassment, sadness… the scents all assaulted him at once.

They turned their eyes to the floor. They looked so small and lost in this moment and he…

The laugh they managed was humorless, “I mean...”

He had hoped this wouldn’t happen.

That they wouldn’t come to this moment.

But... 

He reached out, placing a hand on their shoulder, "Reader… we should talk.”

_ Fun times were always bound to end… _

He guided them to the couch gently. Their movements were robotic, their scent filled with remorse already.

_ “...everyone leaves. And ‘m always left picking up the pieces…" _

It would hurt. It would hurt them both. But it needed to be done.

"Reader… you’ve mentioned… before… that you've had bad experiences in the past. From what you've said, it sounds like many people in your life have let you down.” Gently, he reached out, brushing their cheek. It was hot, burning to the touch, “And you feel left behind to pick up the pieces.”

They were quiet, head bowed. He needed to make this clear. It had to be addressed.

Gently, he cupped their chin, tipping their face upwards. Their face was red and blotchy, tears were already pouring down their cheeks. He ached at the sight.

“The world will end in March or I will be dead.  _ I'll _ be leaving you too. Are you certain you can handle that?”

They sobbed, wrenching their head from his grasp and looking down, rubbing hard at the tears on their face. He hated seeing them this way but… it did confirm his suspicions…

“As I thought.. I'm sorry. I can't put you through that if-”

Suddenly he was being hugged tighter than they had ever hugged him before. He placed a hand on their back, looking down at them. Their face was buried in his robes, “I don't care. I’ll never meet another person like you.”

_ A ruined building. The smell of blood, citrus, and the faintest hint of summer. _

_ “I’ve killed you.” _

_ She laid on the floor, head cradled in his hands. And even in this state, blood pooling beneath her and spreading across her white lab coat… _

_ She  _ smiled _ . _

_ “Of course not. I made a choice… that’s all… and I don’t mind… being killed by you.” her smile was gentle, quiet, the resolved smile of one who knows things will end soon, “Because you’re  _ worth _ dying for. I’m sure you’ll meet someone you feel that way about too someday.” _

_ “I would have no regrets if I died with you. But I’m sure I’ll never meet anyone like you again.” _

_ “If you’re willing to give me your time… with the year you have left...” _

He pulled them close.

He didn’t want to let go.

He had been stupid. Thoughtless.

Given the choice… would he have accepted never meeting Aguri if it meant never seeing her death?

Of course not.

Tears welled in his eyes.

They were sobbing into his front, still speaking, “So  _ I don't care. _ If I don't  _ try _ what's the point? If I don't try I'll regret it for the rest of my life  _ even if _ that just means until March. I know it doesn’t make sense… I just… Doesn’t really matter if you don’t...”

He wrapped his tentacles around them, running a hand over their hair.

This had to be addressed...

“I see.”

They looked up and he offered them a tissue, procuring one for himself as well.

“Perhaps I did you a disservice in trying to spare your feelings.” 

This…

This was frightening.

He knew they would be excited.

Why was it so frightening to say aloud?

Carefully, he took one of their hands in his, “I  _ do _ return the sentiment, Reader.”

“What?”

And of course, he was going to have to say it again.

He lowered his voice, “I have feelings for you as well.”

Bringing the tissue up, he wiped at his eyes before tucking it away. Gently, he cupped their cheek, “The flirtation was  _ delightful _ but I was concerned that perhaps it would interfere with the classroom or with the assassination. It also seemed an unkind gesture to you to become involved with someone you are certain to lose…”

Was this the right choice to make?

God, did he hope so...

“Sure you're not just saying that because I'm crying?” their attempt at humor fell flat.

He couldn’t even _ begin _ to let them think that was the case, “ _ Absolutely not. _ Loss is  _ painful _ , Reader. Already I know my students' will lose their teacher. I… I did not want to extend that pain to others if I could help it. But you have made a good point. As Tennyson said, ‘'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.’” 

He prayed this was the right choice...

With a grin, he made his offer, “If this is a feeling you wish to pursue then I would be  _ happy _ to be your target.”

They gave a small smile, wiping at their face, “I'm sorry… it's just…”

They seemed to be struggling with words. He sat, quiet, letting them work through it.

“It's hard to believe that you feel the same way. You’re amazing and I’m just me... Nothing special.”

How on Earth did they think that about themselves?

He was certainly superhuman but there were things that Mach 20 speed could not do.

“Au contraire, you, Reader, are  _ exceptional _ .” Looping an arm around them, he looked down at them.

They leaned their head against his chest and he remembered arms around him, knocking him aside, a reassuring smile even while the light was fading from her eyes…

“In fact, I only know  _ one other _ who was your equal...”

He felt them tense, just slightly, at the statement. Reaching up, they took his hand.

"....you're  _ sure _ it's not because I'm crying?" it came out much more humorous this time.

Better.

He chuckled, nuzzling them. It was time to tell them, "Reader, I've had feelings for you for  _ quite _ some time now. I  _ thought  _ you would have  _ noticed _ ."

They looked up, eyes wide and face red.

"I admit… I could have been  _ a bit  _ more forward but after your concerns about Irina, but I thought it might be best to tread lightly with you. I didn't want to risk a misunderstanding."

They continued to stare…

Oh dear...

“I thought you would realize at some point. I… well, I realized after midterms. It caught me by surprise. I'm not quite sure  _ how _ it happened… but I suppose that  _ is _ the nature of these things, isn’t it?” he chuckled, scratching at his head lightly, “It must have been over those lunch hours we spent together."

"So, I bought you off with bamboo cookies." they smirked.

But he could hear it in their tone.

Self deprecation was not a good look for them.

" _ Reader… _ You don’t need to belittle yourself...”

"I'm sorry." Their face was painted with guilt, I'm… really not used to things like this going… like this."

Like… this?

Oh...

“Going well, you mean?”

They nodded.

There was no way he could let that stand. They were lovely. He refused to let them think otherwise.

"Humor can be an excellent way to handle tension but  _ please _ , don't downplay your importance to me. I  _ enjoy _ your company, Reader. I appreciate your kindness and your efforts to adapt to our very unconventional little classroom despite it going against your basic beliefs. You have always put our students first, sometimes to your own detriment…" he gently touched the light scar on their chin, remembering how they had looked after running up the mountain, "Commendable but sometimes foolish." He gave a small chuckle. "You are a credit to your field and a treasure in our classroom. One of the many reasons I'm delighted to teach every day is because I get to do so  _ alongside you _ ."

As he spoke the red of their face was deepening. Apparently it hit a breaking point. They buried their face in their hands with the most darling sound he’d ever heard.

" _ Nurufufufu~ _ Why,  _ Reader! _ I'm  _ shocked _ . Do you  _ possibly _ have trouble with compliments?"

Oh this was going to be  _ delightful. _

"Should I also tell you how _ attractive  _ I find yo-"

A hand came up to cover his mouth.

"You are  _ killing _ me."

Adorable.

Absolutely adorable.

He reached up with a tentacle, brushing their cheek, “You're especially cute when you blush."

"Look who's talking."

Oh that…

He felt like his heart might burst from all of this.

He pulled them close, pressing his forehead to theirs.

There was the temptation to kiss them but…

He would rather that memory not be tinged with tears.

"I'm glad that you told me. Even if it was unintentional."

"I am too…." they sighed, "I… well I didn't… I hadn't intended on telling you at all."

So, he hadn’t been alone in that thought...

"Because?"

"Rejection, you're still getting over someone, the assassination, dying of embarrassment…" they leaned against him, looking exhausted, "Take your pick, there's  _ tons _ to choose from."

"I notice that list distinctly lacks my looks."

Well, of course it did, he’d seen their manga collection. They certainly had an interest in creatures that didn’t quite look human...

"I like how you look. You're…" they faltered, "You're warm… friendly… there's something comfortable about you." there was a pause, and they quietly said, "And I like your tentacles..."

Oh... 

They gently picked up one of the tendrils, petting it lightly, "That might sound strange but I don't know… it's nice when you hug me. They’re lovely..."

They looked up at him, face still red. The scent of sweetness and persimmons. Fall spice. 

He pulled them close to his chest, their arms encircled him.

"I love you."

He spoke softly and without hesitation, "And I you, Reader."

They began to giggle.

What-

The giggle turned into laughter.

“Reader?”

When they looked up they were laughing so hard there were tears in their eyes, " _ I'm in love with an octopus! _ "

There was something in their laughter that was infectious, he found himself laughing along with them.

"You are."

And he was in love with them.

Every part of them.

Insecure, kind, worried, gentle, funny, hurt, stubborn…

They were wonderfully weak.

Wonderfully flawed. 

Wonderfully vulnerable.

Wonderfully real.

They sat beside one another on the tiny couch. The silence was finally broken by Reader, “...We probably shouldn’t tell anyone, huh?”

“Unfortunate but… probably for the best.” he agreed quietly.

“I think I’m okay with that.”

He was alright with that too…

For the moment…

They took his hand and squeezed it.

The open affection would take getting used to…

Not that he minded, of course…

He jumped in surprise as they laughed, “God, I’m such an idiot...”

“What? Reader what do-”

“ _ I thought you were just playing around. _ ” they looked up at him.

What were they…

What?

“...Nani?”

They rubbed their face, laughing, “Like… tonight… at the farm. When you were talking about lavender and healing and beautiful things… I’ve been thinking you were joking around or just… being nice...”

They…

How?

THEY HAD LITERALLY FLIRTED WITH ONE ANOTHER HOW ON EARTH?!

He just stared at them, “You are apparently as dense as Karasuma. Noted.”

They laughed, shoving him, “Oh come on. And you knew?”

Oh…

OH.

“Er… ah… well, yes… I had confirmed it.”

“...” their eyes went wide, staring, “Did you  _ actually _ find my diary?”

He waved his hands in protest. “NO No! Nothing like that I-I could ah… well, I could smell it.”

“Oh my GOD!”

“I told you I candeterminethingsaboutpeoplebytheirscentits-” he buried his face in his hands. This was MORTIFYING. How was he going to look them in the face after this?

There was laughter and their tone was a bit more gentle when they spoke next, "Um… when we were in Kyoto, you told Karasuma that you'd had romantic encounters. So… why is all of this so… much for you?"

He laughed just slightly, "Well… things have changed for me  _ significantly _ since then…" he raised a tentacle to illustrate, "not only my body of course but my mind as well in many ways. And… this is different. I was human then, an assassin, dalliances were of course part of my work and life…"

Their eyes widened, "But…"

He looked at them, hoping they were beginning to understand, "It does certainly put a strain on a relationship if you have to kill them. Even for ones I didn't have to kill there was…"

"A constant threat." They whispered softly.

He looked at them with a nod, "As an assassin one must suspect everyone."

They seemed to go through a flurry of emotions at that and, without warning, they were hugging him tightly

He held them close.

When they sat back, their expression was one of sudden and clear understanding, "Is  _ that _ what the knives were for?"

"I thought, perhaps, a direct test was in order…"

They laughed

"You thought I was an assassin? Why?"

Oh dear…

He hadn't expected this to come up…

"Medical training. A new face. And you have killed someone before."

They paled instantly and his heart dropped.

He'd been right at least about one thing.

They paused, struggling with words for a moment.

Finally, they spoke, breath unsteady, "What do you know about that?"

He answered truthfully, "Nothing. But when you've killed for a living for as long as I have it's not hard to hear it in a person's tone."

They were shaking just slightly.

He reached out, touching their hand, "Reader…"

They looked up at him, the light in their eyes was gone, they looked so infinitely tired.

"She was my best friend."

He listened in silent surprise.

"She needed help. She… she wasn't well…"

He wrapped their hand in his. There were many ways he could see this story playing out…

"She called me and told me she needed help and when I got there, she was hanging…" they took a breath, closing their eyes, "I held her up until the paramedics came. But I was too late."

"Reader…"

"If I had come faster she might have made it." They looked up at him, the exhaustion he'd seen before was slowly being replaced with a hard, determined look, "So I made that my job."

They hadn't killed… but they  _ believed _ they had.

Not what he'd expected.

Not what he'd expected in the slightest.

"I should have been there." They said softly, "I knew something was wrong and I wasn’t there."

He reached out and pulled them in close, cradling them to his chest, "Reader… I understand that you feel this way, but preventable or not the fault does not lie with you. It doesn't lie with anyone…"

They let out a sigh into his front. Like a long held breath. Their body seemed to melt against him.

"I know. But that doesn't stop…"

"The feeling?"

They nodded and from this angle he caught a glimpse of the pale semicolon tattoo on their neck. Gently he touched it, "Is that who this is for?"

Hands suddenly clutched at his robes, Reader tensed in his arms.

"It's for both of us."

Both…

Oh… Reader...

They took a breath, steadying themself, "After it happened I… I didn't handle it well. I thought I deserved it." There was a sigh, "But… I got help."

They straightened up, the spark was coming back to them as they spoke, there were tear marks on their face.

"I got help and I'm better now. It's… it's hard to talk about, but it's something that happened."

He leaned in pressing his forehead to theirs before wrapping them in his arms.

How many times had he seen dead bodies? How many times had he smelled blood? How many lives had he seen fade away, pupils blown wide as the last light died in them?

Too many to count anymore.

And none had made them feel like Aguri's death had…

None of them made him feel the sheer terror he felt at the thought of losing his students…

Or losing Reader… 

And now he knew why.

He hadn't known what love was before Aguri. He hadn't known what it was to be seen. To be acknowledged. To be known.

But now?

He was loved and known by so many. More than he'd  _ ever _ deserved.

It was the greatest gift Aguri had ever given him.

A year of love and learning.

His heart ached. He held them closer to him.

He knew what would happen.

He'd accepted this from the start.

But there were moments like this one where he wished for just a little more time.

“I am _ very _ glad of that.”

It was quiet, calm, a sort of pleasant stillness. This…

He would love more time to have more of  _ this _ .

They shook their head, laughing a bit and smiled up at him, “So… What now?”

“Nue?” 

There was hesitation in their voice, “What… well… what is this?”

He chuckled, “I thought we’d _ just _ cleared this up. Reader, clearly we have a mutual affection for one anot-”

They shook their head, “I mean...”

He knew what they were looking for. It was tentative, new, but he felt safe enough to agree to that at least.

He chuckled, “If it’s what you want then I suppose… that it is a relationship.”

“Okay, but what do you want?” 

He remembered being seen for the first time.

Here they were, ever worried. Not accepting but asking this…

As if there were any other answer he could give, “You.”

Their face trembled with barely restrained feeling, “Hold… hold that thought.” 

They grabbed one of the throw pillows from the couch and buried their face in it with a scream. He found himself laughing. He could relate to the feeling.

They sat up, nodding, “Then yes. I want a relationship.”

He didn’t want to leave but...

“It’s late. And I have a big day tomorrow.”

“Oh?”

“A project for Hinano.”

“At the school?”

He nodded. Bug hunting among… other things...

“Well maybe I’ll swing by and say hello.”

He chuckled, standing, “I’d like that.”

He would need to be wary. He’d rather them NOT see him perusing the delightful trap in the woods.

They walked with him to the balcony, “Hey.”

He looked to them.

“You ARE going to sleep right?”

He laughed, “I promise, Reader. I will. ‘Til tomorrow then?”

They hugged him tightly once more before he took off.

He flew above the cover of the clouds. Stars shone overhead, the crescent moon was split into an odd fraction of itself with the Earth’s shadow passing over it. The world was painted in shades of blue and purple. 

When he’d first realized he’d had this feeling, he’d thought of it as something weak and he had been right in a sense.

He remembered when the tentacles had asked him what he wanted to be…

_ To be weak, to be flawed, vulnerable. To perceive weakness in others not to exploit but to protect. To be a guide, to be a teacher. _

If that wasn’t love, then what was?

He’d worried that this feeling might interfere with the control of his tentacles…

But what had brought him back before?

Aguri.

It was love.

And he’d seen it in them too. That same weakness.

How ignorant he’d been before…

There was still so much left to learn...


	19. Unpack Your Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korosensei's POV of [Chapter 55 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/49298699).

It had been an awkward day…

The children had caught him looking at pin-up magazines in the woods, so had Reader. It was their first day seeing one another after yesterday's spontaneous confession…

And they had done something quite suggestive with a popsicle that was still stuck in his mind.

But… more important than all of that…

He had a debt to pay.

They had told him their story.

They wanted to be with him.

It was only fair that they understand _ all _ of it.

He offered to walk them home. A way to buy time, find a way to open this conversation.

It was hard… he'd…

He'd told no one.

He realized this fact with a sudden and intense fear.

He'd told  _ no one _ …

And he was going to tell them…

What if they-

"Why don't we watch the sunset before we go on?" They smiled, gesturing across the open field towards the mountain. The view was beautiful.

He hoped this wouldn't be the only sunset they shared…

"A fine idea, Reader."

They sat down on the side of the road, pulling out a drink and a box of his favorite cookies…

Always thinking of others…

He accepted a cookie, popping it in his mouth. Their voice was light, joking, "Afraid I might put the moves on you if you sit with me?"

He didn't look their way. He didn't think he could tell this story of he looked at them.

"Reader… There is something I need to share with you if we intend on carrying this out any further."

"What's that?" They sounded casual, happy.

He hoped he didn't ruin that…

"My past."

It was going to be hard. He knew that much from the start. But… the memories that came back were too hard to bear alone.

So instead, he spoke of himself as he had been from the outside. As though the story belonged to someone else.

It dulled the pain but didn't eliminate it.

“The only thing he had faith in as a child was the certainty and clarity of death. He grew up in the worst slum you could imagine. A world without trust or kindness. Parents sold their children. Friends and lovers betrayed each other in a heartbeat. The only law was street justice. The only medication? Drugs that only provided escape, not healing. The lives of those born into this world were valueless. Worth less than garbage.”

He remembered being sold… and he remembered the sweet taste of revenge when he shot the man who had bought him.

The things he had seen far too young. Dead children in the street like so much garbage. Murder. Death. Damage. It had seeped into him. Poisoned him before he'd had a chance to put down roots. To grow.

“He grew up without anything to believe in except the inevitable certainty of death. That's why he became an assassin. It turned out to be the ideal path for him."

He'd been lucky to be  _ smart _ .

Lucky to be  _ quick _ .

He was lucky to have _ survived _ .

He'd started young. Barely as old as their students.

"Those who were intelligent, he killed with skill. Those who were strong, he killed with technique. Those who were both, he disarmed with charm. Unless the target surpassed him in every way, there was no escape. As a result, he was untouchable.”

That was what it had felt like. Untouchable. Beyond the reach of others.

He realized now just why that was.

“He accepted any job, no matter the difficulty. He breached the security of the leader of a superpower and made it appear as if the man died of natural causes. He killed two dozen military officers bringing about an end to a ten-year civil war in just one week. After his thousandth kill, he came to be known as the Grim Reaper.”

The Reaper.

The man he'd been.

The man he was.

Someone with so much blood on his hands he knew he could never wash it away.

Someone would  _ always _ be looking for the Reaper.

“Two years ago the Grim Reaper fell into the hands of a secret scientific organization. He had been captured while working with his first and only protege. If someone else shared his skill level, the range of possibilities for assassinations would be greatly expanded. That had been the  _ only _ reason he took on a student.”

How foolish of him.

How arrogant.

How naive.

He sighed heavily, “This young man had asked me to take him on as my apprentice after I completed an assassination. He was extremely talented, so I agreed. He craved power. So I gave him all the power he wanted. But I always made sure he was  _ aware _ of the enormous power differential between us. I thought that would keep him loyal. I strove to inspire a respect tinged with awe. I had no inkling that he would betray me. I failed him.”

For the first time, they spoke, their voice open and curious, “So,  _ you _ were called the Grim Reaper...”

He gave a small nod.

“It was in that facility that I met her.”

That smile. That stupid t-shirt. Her immediate cheerful interest...

“She knew what I was from the beginning...”

His heart ached, he took a breath, continuing, “The Grim Reaper concluded that the woman chosen to keep an eye on him during the night might come in handy later. She could be useful to him… even with her ridiculous fashion sense…” he faltered, unable for a moment, to keep his distance from the story.

She had been so wonderful...

“The chief researcher of this organization was one Yotaro Yanagisawa. He was trying to generate antimatter through an approach that defied all natural laws. And the Grim Reaper had become his Guinea Pig.”

He couldn't keep his distance… not when speaking about Aguri…

"The name of the woman assigned to keep an eye on me was Aguri Yukimura. By day she was a new junior high school teacher. By night she volunteered with Yanagisawa's research until the wee hours. I asked her why she agreed to take on so much work… she told me her engagement to him was already arranged. She had no say in the matter.”

He closed his eyes and remembered her awkward smile from the other side of the glass that had separated them. The way she always tried to laugh off her problems…

_ Oh… Aguri… _

He steeled himself, he needed to get back on track, “The generation of anti-matter in the human body. That was the core of Yanagisawa's research. He incorporated the particle acceleration cycle which is essential to generating antimatter, into the natural human life cycle and the immense energy it released activated the acceleration process which, in turn, stimulated cell growth which, in turn, generated more antimatter-as long as that person remained  _ alive _ .”

“It was an ambitious technique that no unseasoned scientist could begin to comprehend, but the Grim Reaper's knowledge exceeded that of any ordinary scientist. For his assassinations, he had intensively studied scientific methodology and during that one month on the laboratory table, he pretty much grasped the essential points of this radical theory. So he took it upon himself to manipulate the experiment from behind the scenes. The outcome, he was sure, would grant him destructive power beyond comprehension. The Grim Reaper was convinced that this power would free him-make him something…  _ more _ .”

He looked down, "I wasn’t wrong… I suppose.”

Still, silence from them. They were still there. The scent of curiosity and…

Sadness…

He moved on, "Despite working as a teacher from six in the morning until seven at night, and observing an experimental subject from eight in the evening until two in the morning, Aguri was surprisingly energetic and managed to complete all that hard work without breaking a sweat.”

He had no idea how she'd done it. 

“In three months' time, the assassin and the teacher had opened up to each other. They were like old friends. It would have been easy for the assassin to use his skills to manipulate her, but she had very limited authority at the laboratory, so she was of little value to the Grim Reaper.”

“Moreover…” he felt his chest tighten a bit at the memories, “I became genuinely interested in her life.”

“Aguri was in charge of the class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High. The school tosses all its losers into a separate school building. The class is usually assigned a rookie teacher to provide instruction in all their subjects. This helps develop the new teacher's general teaching skills while the school saves money on personnel for students destined to be dropouts. Chillingly logical. She must have been assigned to class E because the school had high expectations of her. ”

He needed to take a step back again… emotionally speaking. He went back to the science, “Yanagisawa's research was _ revolutionary _ . It would move several steps beyond the limits of modern science. But the tradeoff was the cost of numerous  _ miscalculations _ along the way. Miscalculations that brought unimaginable pain on the subject.” 

Okuda was right about science being easier than communication at times. Explaining the process was far simpler than exploring that pain again...

“The experiment progressed. The Grim Reaper’s body began to exhibit obvious changes. The energy of the antimatter circulated throughout his body resulting in an overly accelerated metabolism. In order to handle such an immense flow of power, his body tissues had to be replaced with stronger and more flexible substances. In six months time, the treatment caused his arms and fingers to stretch and bow like whips. Yanagisawa called these extensions 'tentacles'.”

He couldn't avoid the subject of her for forever though...

“The researchers appeared more alert in his presence. Yanagisawa stopped approaching the Grim Reaper in his cell and began issuing orders from a safe distance. Aguri continued to dutifully follow Yanagisawa's orders. She was the designated scapegoat should something go awry. She accepted that role.” 

He paused, remembering how she had always looked him in the eye. The way she'd spoken to him...

“She realized that the Grim Reaper was gradually turning into something other than human, but Aguri never asked unnecessary questions.”

He wished he'd thanked her properly when he'd had the chance...

“She would look straight at me, at what I'd  _ become _ and smile at me, the way she always had. I came to understand what it means to truly " _ see _ " someone. For the first time, this incomparable assassin who never revealed his true self to anyone learned what a joy it was to be really and truly  _ seen _ by someone else.”

And what a wonder it was…  _ being seen by her... _

“The season changed and a new group of students entered E Class. That was two weeks before the moon became a perpetual crescent. By the time a year had passed that room had become a safe place where the two of them could talk about anything.”

Two weeks before the crescent. Two weeks before he became a teacher. A month before meeting them...

“After discovering a time of the day when no one was monitoring their conversation she asked the Grim Reaper to tell her his life story. He didn’t know his name or his birthday. He told her that kind words were only weapons to be used in assassinations and that the purpose of a smile was to deceive others. He learned about her life as well, that she was nothing but a servant- not a woman- to her fiance. And how although she respected the man's talent, she could not bring herself to like him. Yet she kept working for him observing me nightly. That was just the way she was.”

How _ ignorant _ he had been and how  _ kind _ she had been to teach him...

“I learned more about her, about the new batches of Class E students, and about her little sister, the actress who she was proud of.”

She had been so gentle. With her students, with him, with those that hurt her…

The only person she wasn't gentle with was  _ herself _ .

God, how he wished he'd been  _ better _ to her...

“People all have a role to play in this world. Some need to be gently nurtured. This was a view of the world the Grim Reaper had never known. And the fake smile he'd always worn... became a real one.”

He remembered her ridiculous Oni top. The surprise his reaction brought to them both.

He chuckled, “I changed in so much more than just my body and she noticed it first. She said that the tentacles were bringing out my true self, the person I would have been if I’d lived a normal life. Smart, klutzy, lecherous, stingy, stubborn… and genuinely kind. That was her evaluation of my character.”

He didn't know if he could make it through this...

But he had to try.

“On the anniversary of our meeting she brought me a gift.” one of his hands reached up to rest against his chest, “A ridiculous, tacky, gigantic tie. She couldn’t even give it to me. We were separated by an acrylic wall a foot thick.” he shook his head lightly, “She suggested I make that day my birthday.”

The shine in her eyes… the same lovely smile...

“Yanagisawa was forcing her to quit teaching. It would be her last year but she would have given anything to help those children...” 

He faltered, memories of her on the ground, bleeding…

He had to finish this...

“She was grateful for my friendship. For my support.” he gave a dry laugh, “  _ My _ support. The support of a man who had killed hundreds who had spent the last year thinking of all the ways he could escape… The man she’d taught something _ infinitely _ more valuable.”

It was a losing battle. He couldn't continue this way.

Not without becoming an emotional mess anyhow…

“The Grim Reaper had mastered the use of his tentacles much more quickly than the scientists had anticipated. He could create ultra-fine tentacles that wouldn't register on the surveillance camera. Revealing them to her would lower his chances of escape but the Grim Reaper wanted to express his gratitude to her too. He used them to reach her through the one opening in the barrier between them. A set of small air holes used to allow for ease of communication.”

The way her skin had felt on the hand he had manifested.

How all he had wanted, in that moment, was to hold her.

“The two touched each other for the first time, six hours before the creation of the permanent crescent moon.”

He took notice, for the first time, that said moon had risen. Just how long had he been talking?

He needed to finish.

“The scientist's laboratory on the moon maintained an environment similar to earth. Inside, a single mouse was kept alive as part of a fully automated experiment. The Grim Reaper's antimatter generation cells had been transplanted into it for scientific replication. The antimatter generation cells use the power of the cell cycle engine to create a continuous and copious amount of energy. The research was the culmination of a dream come true which would create enough electricity for an entire country with just 20 or so cow-sized antimatter organisms. But the one worry Yanagisawa's team had was what would happen as the creature aged. When the cells reached their limit of division how would this affect the antimatter generation cycle?”

“In order to find out, an experiment was carried out using a mouse because it would age faster than a human. As a precaution, the experiment took place on the moon to minimize any collateral damage. The research team was optimistic that nothing would happen. But they were wrong...  _ catastrophically _ wrong. The moment the mouse's cellular division ended, the antimatter generation cycle did  _ not _ dissipate, but rather  _ expanded _ , creating a chain reaction that turned the mineral composition of the moon into antimatter which resulted in 70 percent of the moon being vaporized.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, “Clearly, this was a problem. Calculations were made and it was determined that their human test subject would undergo the same chain reaction on March 13th of the following year." He paused for a moment to ready himself, "The decision was made. The guinea pig would need to be  _ put down _ .”

“The laboratory was in chaos. And no one noticed Aguri overhearing. Aguri's relationship with the Grim Reaper was built on trust as one human to another, not a guinea pig. So who could blame her for telling him everything?”

He sighed, “She wanted to save him. Swore she would find a way.”

Pain. Guilt. The rawness of a wound still not entirely healed.

“But Aguri's words didn't reach the Grim Reaper. The moment he was faced with his own death he made a decision--a bad decision.  _ ‘That's right. ’ _ he thought,  _ ‘How could I have forgotten? People are born into this world to die. And I am an assassin who has killed countless people. It's only _ natural _ for me to face a terrible end... but it would be a pity to die without using this new power. ’ _ ”

Her voice,  _ pleading  _ with him...

“She said she wanted to be with him. He warned her to leave. When she did, he unleashed his abilities. Freeing himself.”

The defeated way she had left. How cold he had been.

What he wouldn't give to take it all back...

“The shape of the tentacles are greatly affected by the emotional state of the host. If the emotions are twisted the body will twist into a monstrous form as well.”

He remembered the change. The way flesh had corded and writhed and moved. By that point, he had been beyond the initial pain.

“And that is exactly what happened.”

What would they have thought…Seeing him that way?

“Yanagisawa saw that the Grim Reaper's power far exceeded his calculations and finally realized that his experiment had always been controlled by the Grim Reaper, not him.”

It had all happened so fast...

“The failure of the experiment. The Guinea Pig’s revolt. Aguri's change of heart. Yanagisawa's shattered pride. It was a tipping point. Yanagisawa called in the guards.” 

It hadn't mattered. The men might as well have been flies for all the threat they had posed...

“The Grim Reaper's head was clear. He was in his prime. He didn't need to use his tentacles as he escaped. All one needed to tear a major artery was a grain of sand at the right velocity.”

If only he'd paid attention...

“He was impaled during the fight. Attacked with a tentacle mine. The powerful tentacle is a byproduct of the creation of the antimatter creatures. The scientists had been simultaneously researching a method to use those tentacles independently as weapons. When transplanted into a human these tentacles bestow incredible strength. When placed inside a container equipped with a sensor they detect the presence of a life form and attack at supersonic speed. A deadly trap indeed.”

“Unfortunately for Yanagisawa, it was not enough to kill the Reaper.”

He had been so foolish...

“ _ ‘I'm going to die within the year anyway. I don't care if it's by myself or if I take this planet with me.  _ ’ he thought to himself.” 

“He found himself surrounded by guards. But they were nothing to him.”

So incredibly thoughtless...

“Arriving face-to-face with his own death everything seemed suddenly clear to the master assassin. What was dangerous, who was powerful, which of them would survive.. .everything was clear.”

He'd been so focused on destruction.

“Aguri saw him. She moved to stop him. She had been neither enemy nor obstacle to him. Aguri was looking right at him but he didn't even notice her…”

He hadn't even thought of her...

“Until a tentacle mine struck her to the ground.”

Her smile…

Even with the light fading on her eyes...

Even though he had killed her…

She still saw him...

“The wound was fatal. Even the Grim Reaper with all his mastery of medicine, couldn't save her. He asked her why. Why had she tried to intercept him? And she said  _ ‘I thought you wouldn't stop if I just called out to you...  _ ’”

His heart ached.

If only...

“And she was right. If he had left the facility in that state his negative emotions would have corrupted his tentacles, corrupted his mind, and he would have become a dark monster of destruction. It was her touch that brought him back to himself…”

If only...

“The assassin had grown up hating the world, so he used everything he acquired for the sole purpose of  _ destroying _ his target. His scientific knowledge, his battle skills, his communication techniques, and even his tentacles… He finally realized that he could have used these talents for  _ so many other things  _ . If he had noticed her sooner. If he had practiced medical techniques with this new power. He had had all the time in the world to learn, to adapt. So why hadn’t he? His power to kill, to destroy, he could have been using it to help… all of this time.”

He looked down, “She had one request of him. One last request.”

His voice softened, “And it wasn’t even for her...”

He took a breath, steadying himself, “All she wanted was for him to use the year he had left to teach her class.”

“  _ ‘They’re in the dark. Like you.’ _ she told him,  _ ‘Look them straight in the eye and I’m sure you’ll find the answers you need. ’ _ ”

He had wished, in that moment, that he could have died with her.

“The last thing she said to me was that she was sure I would become a fine teacher...”

He hoped he had...

“Hidden away in her pocket was a large birthday present. An oversized tie that no one would wear. Tacky... silly... weak... ridiculous… flawed… vulnerable… real… I finally realized that this was what attracted me to her.” he touched the tie, feeling at the hole that still decorated it's surface.

“And I made my promise to her. I would spend the remainder of the time left to me as a teacher. Her students would be my students and I would watch over them.”

He swallowed down emotions threatening to overtake him, “He could move at incredible speeds. All of his human cells had been replaced with tentacle cells. He was about to be reborn as a completely new creature. He could do anything with his new powers! What kind of being he chose to become was now entirely up to him.”

He remembered the cool dark soil where he had mourned before beginning his work...

“Like a cicada, he burrowed into the Earth to begin his transformation. And it was in the depths of the mountain that the tentacles spoke to him. The tentacles asked him,  _ ‘What do you want to be? ’ _ and he answered,  _ ‘I want to be weak. A creature that appears helpless, something so ridiculous that you want to just squeeze him to death! Something that can suss out vulnerabilities in other creatures with its tentacles, that can protect them and lead them. That was the creature... no... the teacher he wanted to become.’ _ "

“ _ ‘I might make mistakes.’ _ he said to himself,  _ ‘At times my cold-hearted former self might reappear... but I will do my best. I will do what she was trying to do, in my own way, to the best of my ability. _ ’ And thus the rookie teacher who could move at Mach 20 took his time and slowly rose up from the Earth… as this.”

He gestured to himself. 

He still couldn't bring himself to look at them.

What would they think of him now that they knew?

“I thought that it was only fair that you know. I’ll answer any question you ask. From here, the choice to continue is yours. Whatever you choose, I will respect your decision, but I thought it would be unfair to keep it from you given your feelings. I've killed many and I've made mistakes. If you can't abide by that I understand…"

The silence felt like it stretched on for ages. Then he heard the sound of them rising.

This…This would be where it ended. Where they-

He felt their hand clasp his and their warmth leaned against him, "I thought I'd already chosen."

He looked down and they…

They smiled at him.

They…

They were smiling…

"I mean, this isn't exactly a conventional relationship after all." They gave him a bit of a smirk

To write it off so easily. To accept it so easily…

He remembered how casually she had accepted him...

A gentle chuckle escaped him, "I suppose not.” he took a breath, “I simply wanted you to be aware."

"Pretty sure I was aware when I realized I wanted to kiss an octopus, that  _ something _ wasn't conventional…" their tone was filled with fondness. 

They…

They wanted to…

He relaxed.

He'd been…Worried. So worried. About so much.

It was nice to know that at least this he could do without concern.

"  _ Thank you _ , Reader." He gave their hand a gentle squeeze, "You were the last thing I expected to happen this year but I believe you are, _ by far _ , one of the best."

Leaning down, he kissed them softly. The sweet scent of Autumn and persimmons. Fall spice.

His heart was full to bursting. They were…

They were wonderful.

He had never thought he could feel this way again.

He had never thought he would be seen this way again.

And yet here they were.

What a year Aguri had given him...

As they parted he couldn't resist teasing… just a bit. "If I heard you correctly, you  _ did _ say you wanted to kiss the octopus.~"

Their expression went from fondness to shock and irritation. They swung a hand at him which he dodged with ease.

They were smiling. Laughing. He drew them in, wrapping them in his arms. Grateful for the opportunity to hold them like this.

"You know what?"

"Nue?" He looked down at them in surprise..

"I think I want to kiss the octopus  _ again _ .~" hands tugged at the collar of his robes.

Oh how could he refuse?

They pulled him down into another kiss, this one lasting a touch longer than the first.

When they parted, a hand came up to stroke his cheek, bright eyes looking at him in adoration.

And once again, the Reaper felt  _ seen _ .

He felt terrible for keeping them out so late. When he offered to fly them home he hadn't expected them to request he spend the night…

But he was certainly happy to oblige.


	20. Get To Know Ya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korosensei's POV of [Chapter 56 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/49319984).

He dropped them off at home and hurriedly fetched his bedding. Reader went to shower. Something he tried not to think too much on. He turned his attention to laying out the blankets.

He needed something to busy his hands.

It had been an interesting day. An interesting evening. And now it was an interesting night.

But at least this particular brand of interesting was a far more mundane one.

“Surprised you haven’t built a pillow fort yet.”

Reader was standing just inside the living room. Their expression amused.

He perked up, “Excellent idea!”

Let's see. Two chairs, perfect for supporting a quilt overhead. Pillows… Reader had a few of those about. 

The arrangements were quick and simple and in short order, he had a cave-like structure that draped from the couch and over the chairs, piled high with pillows.

For them, of course, it took a fraction of a second.

They laughed with delight and shook their head. Slowly, though, their expression softened into concern.

“Hey…”

He looked up at them.

Had they reconsidered the situation?

Or perhaps they-

“You… that was a lot back there in the field. Are you okay?”

They…

They were worried about _ him _.

He wasn't sure he would ever grow accustomed to this.

He gave a nod.

“Wanna watch some late-night TV and relax, maybe?” their voice was casual, their smile gentle.

What an absolutely dull plan for the night.

It sounded absolutely perfect.

"That would be lovely.”

They turned on the television flipping through channels. Was that?!

"Wait! Back two channels?"

"Yeah?"

They went back.

"Yes! This is an excellent show!"

They chuckled and before he could stop to think about how cute that was they approached him laying down, their back to his front.

O-oh…

He supposed he shouldn't be surprised but…

It was still a lovely surprise.

He supposed he should…

Well, this was a night in. One was supposed to be comfortable.

He draped an arm around them and they glanced back.

The sweet scent of fondness.

They gave him a shy smile and turned their attention back to the television.

"So, what's this show about?"

He happily launched into an explanation.

After an episode or so they rolled over, facing him.

Oh dear… perhaps he'd rambled a bit much…

"I’m sorry, is it boring you, Reader?"

They shook their head with a smile, "No… there's just something more interesting here."

Arms encircled him and their face was pressed into his chest just like the night of the nomikai.

“Oh… oh my… ” they squeezed him nuzzling into his chest for a moment before looking up at him.

One hand came up, running along his cheek.

He couldn't help it. He leaned into the touch

Their detective face was back.

They adjusted their position, moving up to be face to face with him. Their eyes locked on his.

“Reader?”

They kissed the center of his face and then pressed their forehead gently to his.

Where…

Where was this going?

He brought a hand up to run it along their back and nuzzled them lightly.

He didn't mind the affection. In fact, it eased some part of him that he hadn't realized was taut and frightened. It was like…coming home.

An alien feeling for him.

But not an unpleasant one.

“You know… you’re very cuddly.” one arm came to rest along his shoulders.

"I- well, yes I- ah…" He stuttered, flustered by the compliment. 

They chuckled, “I don’t just mean with me but like with everyone. You’re always hanging on Karasuma and just generally being close to people.”

Oh. Oh dear.

They weren't jealous, were they?

Was that what was wrong?

“Is that a problem?”

“No, it’s just something I noticed.”

A hand ran along the back of his head and they nuzzled against his cheek.

Oh, their touch was heaven.

“I suppose…” he started and then paused, “That it’s a side effect of my upbringing.”

"Which was rough...” they supplied.

“And my career…"

“I would guess it didn’t leave a lot of trust and space for more… sensual aspects of affection...” they ran their hand along his cheek as they spoke.

Aside from Aguri, when was the last time someone had genuinely touched him this way?

He could not remember a single time.

It was new and soft and warm…

So many things he'd forgotten the world could be until her.

“Neither does being in a cell....” his voice was soft, even in his own ears.

Their thumb glided across his cheek where they were cupping his face. He felt like he could fall apart at any given moment…

“Most of my experience with others touching me has been incredibly painful or incredibly careful. But since changing I've been able to experience a variety of exchanges each precious in their own way.” he gestured with a tendril, “Though, since joining this classroom, I believe I’ve come to prefer yours most of all." 

It was frightening to confess.

Despite the simpleness of it.

The grin they gave him more than made up for any tinge of fear he felt.

“You really seem to love it.” their hand ran along his cheek again and he gave in, turning his face to nuzzle against their palm. He would lay with them for hours if it meant they would keep touching him this way…

“I do, I admit. It’s not a sensation I’ve had much of.”

There was a long pause, him with his face buried in their palm. Smelling their sweetness and enjoying the intimate warmth of being so close to them.

When they spoke it was in a hushed whisper, filled with realization, “You're _ touch starved _.” 

“Hm?” he peeked up at them. 

“Well… humans_ are _ social creatures. We enjoy touch and affection. It’s part of how we operate. We don’t thrive well without it.”

Touch starved.

He was familiar with the concept but…

It hadn’t occurred to him that it might be something affecting him.

He thought about how their touch felt. How it had felt to touch Aguri. How, even with the assassination attempts, he was driven to be affectionate with others in the classroom…

Humans needed touch.

And he’d had so little of it.

No experiment in the world could change that aspect of him…

No, humans didn’t thrive without touch...

“We just survive.” it came out softer than he expected to say it.

Their expression shifted to one of absolute heartbreak. They pulled him close, nuzzling into his neck. It was sudden and warm and-

And he wasn’t frightened.

He wrapped his arms around them, pulling them close.

“Then I guess I’m going to have to make up for lost time,” they said softly, kissing his cheek.

They…

Oh… they were _ wonderful _.

How on Earth had he ever deserved to be loved by two people so kind?

“I have no objections to that.” would it be… too much to offer? “I only hope you don’t mind if I return the favor.” 

“Why on Earth would I mind that?” they grinned, a slight chuckle to their voice.

He was so grateful for this year.

For all of this.

He’d never deserved this.

And it humbled him to have been given the chance.

With a content sigh, he trailed a hand through their hair. Their hands slid over his shoulders. It was soft, gentle, and quiet. A feeling that seemed to follow them wherever they went.

The conversation that followed was bare… no hiding, no clever backtracking, it was simply… talking.

When was the last time he’d spoken to someone with everything on display?

Apart from Aguri?

Never.

"What did you look like before this?" they whispered, a hand idly stroking his cheek.

It surprised him but… well, naturally they would be curious.

"Certainly not as handsome as I am now." he joked.

Their response was soft, "Could I see?"

He paused, considering.

"I promise, I'll still find you perfectly handsome like this." they chuckled, kissing his cheek.

Well… they knew everything else…

Why not share this?

"All right." 

Locating paper and a pencil wasn’t difficult in their apartment. He quickly sketched the face he’d seen in the mirror for most of his life. Certainly not Sugaya’s level of work, but passable.

He offered it to them.

They accepted it, looking between it and him for a few moments.

They smiled, "You had a kind face even back then."

He thought of how he would have seen them before.

How easily he could have manipulated them.

How easily he could have killed them...

"I wasn't very kind."

They replied simply, "You were kind enough for Aguri."

He couldn’t meet their eyes.

He hadn’t always been kind to her.

He wasn’t even sure, at times, if he’d been good to her…

A hand came up to put his cheek, turning his face to theirs, "And you are more than kind enough for me."

Laying his hand over theirs he closed his eyes, taking a long moment to appreciate that statement.

"How would you have seen me... before?"

He kept his eyes closed. This answer wouldn’t be very kind.

But they…

They had accepted everything until now.

He opened his eyes, "Weak. Emotional. Flawed. Ridiculous."

The expression on their face shifted to one of embarrassment and hurt. He couldn’t let them think that was some terrible view-

"But those are the things that I love about you." he reached out, running a tentacle along their cheek, "I saw no strength in them before her..."

They smiled, leaning slightly into the touch, “You’ve done so much for her.”

Oh…

Oh, he hoped they didn’t…

That familiar knot of tension tightened in his chest.

“Please…”

They looked at him expectantly.

“Please don’t see her as… as an adversary…”

Their laugh startled him, “What?”

“I loved her.” he tried to explain, “She meant the world to me but that doesn’t mean that yo-”

“Without her, you would never have become what you are now.” their expression was nothing but fondness, “How could I ever see her that way?”

He touched his forehead to theirs, the knot in his chest loosening.

Their voice was gentle, “She sounds like she was lovely.” 

“She was.” he chuckled, “Even if her taste in clothes was… questionable.”

“Questionable?”

He laughed.

It was good to laugh. To be able to laugh about something related to her.

To have a memory of her that he could experience without viewing it through the lens of pain.

“There was this fashion brand she adored...” he retrieved his phone, pulling up a website to show them.

“Rotten Manten?” they read the screen and stifled a laugh, “This is the kind of thing she wore?”

He nodded, chuckling, “Ridiculous and charming… and so terribly, terribly tacky...”

Terribly tacky. Weird. Eccentric.

And on her?

Absolutely adorable.

“That’s cute…”they paused, their detective face coming through, “Wait… is that why you kept asking about my octopus shirt?”

He chuckled, “Not… exactly. She had a shirt...” he flipped through the pages, locating it, “This one.”

PRESENTING OCTOPUS SHOW.

“Oh my god… is that where...” they laughed, gesturing to him, “All of this came from?”

“I suppose...” he chuckled to himself, looking back at the image. It had occurred to him before that perhaps that was where the tentacles had drawn the image from. Something fondly remembered in his subconscious... 

“It wasn’t a conscious choice… much of it was decided by the tentacles.” he continued.

“Do they… do they still talk to you? Like is it like having other people in your head?” they were looking at him with interest now.

He had a feeling they’d had questions for a while and his past had only brought about more.

He shook his head, “At first, yes, but now they’re simply an extension of me. Like your hand or your arm. It’s… it’s like imprinting. They take after you. They become what you ask of them. That would be why emotions play such a large part in the process...”

“And that’s why Itona…?”

He gave a nod, “I don’t know where Shiro gained access to the technology but his actions have put that boy in danger. His emotional state isn’t a healthy one, with tentacles or without.”

“Do… do you think we’ll get him back safely?”

If he had any say in it, that boy would be back in the classroom before the end of the year and Shiro would answer every question_ he _had for him.

...and Reader would get a kick or two in.

Since they’d asked for it.

“I intend on it. I don’t plan on letting any of our students slip through my tentacles...”

“Karasuma told me he’ll keep me notified if he learns anything about Itona’s state.”

“Good. Better you to ask than me.”

Given his status as an adversary, it was difficult to get cooperation at times. Reader, as a neutral party, was the safer option.

They gave a nod of agreement.

He held up a hand, idly, and flexed his fingers, “If I get my hands on that Shiro though…” 

There was a soft hum of agreement from them before their hands reached out, taking his gently.

He faltered, watching as they turned his hand over, tracing the shapes of it.

What a lovely feeling.

He’d never known just how intimate touching someone’s hand could be.

“Why_ this _shape? “It seems like less fingers would be a detriment...”

Their drive to learn, to know. It was endearing.

"The tentacles chose these. I can modify myself, of course, but these were what the tentacles gave me when I changed. I have to admit they're quite useful. Far easier to use than I expected at first..."

"I like them." they delicately ran their fingers along his, “But what is going on with your texture?”

What?

What did they mean by-

They seemed to anticipate his concern, “It’s not bad but like… the first time I shook your hand I was just reminded of those like… gummy toys you would throw at the wall as a kid?”

He laughed, “As I mentioned, the experiment resulted in a lot of antimatter energy circulating through me. My tissues had to be modified… replaced… a silicone base was the ideal choice. Something that could resist the temperatures my body could reach.”

“So, you’re telling me you’re basically made out of the same stuff we use for baking wear or medical supplies.” 

“That’s a very simple concept of it, but, yes.” he gave a small shrug.

“That’s… that’s wild.” they paused, “Wait, is that why you’re going to Everest? Because you overheat or something?”

Their concerns were cute.

And touching...

He shook his head slightly, “I wasn’t exaggerating about being a touch nervous about this upcoming assassination attempt… seven tentacles is going to knock me down quite a bit. And I’m sure our little assassins won’t stop there. So I need to prepare.”

“Prepare?” 

“Well, our students aren’t the only ones who train. What sort of teacher doesn’t improve their skills?”

“Wait so you’re going there to-”

“Find a way to outsmart them, of course.” he chuckled, “What sort of target would I be and what sort of teacher if I just let them win? I have no intention of being killed… not yet, anyway.”

Their detective face receded and a calm came over them.

He couldn’t make promises or permanently erase their worry but for now, he was happy to have alleviated it just a bit.

They hugged him tightly and he yelped in surprise.

Their face was in his neck and…

Oh, that was such a lovely feeling. Their breath on his neck like this…

“How long are you going to be there? Until Okinawa?”

He nodded, glancing down at them, “I’ll need all the time I can for it.”

“So you leave tomorrow then?”

“Yes.”

He wished he didn’t have to…

They gave a nod and laid their head against his chest.

After a moment they chucked, “Summer is off to one hell of a start.”

He gave a contented sigh, “It certainly is.”

“With everything that happened, I don’t think I’m going to ever forget today,” they said softly.

Well… he’d hoped they might forget the incident with the magazines but, well, perhaps that was too much to ask.

“Hey, I have a question.”

“Mn?” he looked down.

“Um… Takaoka… You shoved me against the wall...”

Oh god…

His ridiculous outburst. 

“I’m sorry about that, Reader...”

A hand came to rest on his chest, their expression full of suspicion, “I meant the second time… Were you going to...”

OH.

Oh, that was almost as embarrassing as threatening them...

“Ah… well...”

They laughed, “You were, weren’t you? You were going to kiss me.”

He gave the tiniest of nods, "You know, it took everything I had not to kiss you the other night… when you told me..."

"Why didn't you?"

"I didn't want you to associate the memory with crying."

So many of his own fond memories were laced with pain…

They pulled him in close before he could react, kissing him, "I think you picked the _ perfect _ time to do it.”

They were laughing, their head coming to rest on his shoulder. Their tone was full of relief as if what they were saying was a heavy weight they were finally able to put down, “I can’t say much… when you first told me about Aguri I thought to myself, ‘I can’t tell him how I feel ever’ cause like… you… well, you were hurt…”

Well, now, that wasn’t something he could remotely let them think.

“Reader, you have no idea how much that night meant to me...”

They’d gone bright red.

Adorable.

“Oh...”

“I hadn’t meant to tell you about her but…” he thought about how they had hugged him that night. How gentle they had been with him, “being able to talk about her… it helped.”

“...you’ve just been handling all that by yourself, huh?”

He gave a slow nod, “You’ve… you’ve been a challenge.”

“What?” they looked at him, surprise painting their features.

“Every time we talk about these sorts of things...” his voice faltered, of all the things he had said tonight… this was the hardest. “So much goes against what I know. What I thought I knew.” he paused for a long moment.

Their voice was soft, “Suspect everyone.”

He gave a nod, “I thought nothing of Aguri as a threat because she was weak. Because of our situation… but, you are in a classroom full of assassins… you’ve frightened me before you know.”

“Hm?” they laughed, “What? How?”

“You startled me. That morning with the cranes… that doesn’t happen often. Not to that degree.”

It had been frightening to think he’d let his guard down. Even if they weren’t a threat.

“I’m sorry about that.” they were still laughing, “I’m just… have you seen me? My score against the _ mountain _ is 0 to 1 for fuck’s sake.”

He laughed, “But maybe it’s all just a cover.”

“‘Fraid not. What you see is what you get.” they gestured to themself with a smirk.

“I’d argue that you’re deeper than that but… I’m quite happy with what I see.”

Perhaps one day they would understand just how fetching he found them.

They went red, burying their face in the pillow, “That is _ not fair! _”

“What isn’t? Why, Reader, I thought we had established I looooove you. That means, of course, that I get to shower you in compliments!”

They gave a glare.

Oh, he had to save that image.

He snapped a photo.

“Hey!” 

“Nurufufufu~” oh they were_ adorable _, “I do believe I’ll make that my new background...”

“Oh my god… at least let me see it!”

He grinned wider, showing them the photo. To his surprise, they laughed.

“You know, we’ve got a matching set now.”

“Nue?”

They grabbed their phone and showed him-

OH.

It was that photo from their game of True and False.

Embarrassing but he had to laugh. The photos really were a near-perfect match.

“Of course, I have a much better one,” he quickly flipped to the photo of them in their kigurumi.

“Oh my god, _ you saved that one too?! _”

He laughed, “I believe we’ve established, Reader, that I find you very attractive. Why wouldn’t I save photos you send me?”

They rubbed at their face with a groan, “You’re trying to kill me.”

“That’s my line.”

“Goddammit.” they buried their face in their hands, laughing, “Clearly you’ve just been trying to murder me this whole year so far.”

“Whatever do you mean?” 

“Let’s see. You basically asked me out on a date to Tomita. Like… what? A week after I figured out I had feelings for you. Then like... you were always surprising me with lunch of taking me places. Then you’ve got the flirty ass texts and the phone call and-”

A…

A week?

“Wait… a week after?” he couldn’t help but interrupt.

They buried their face back into their hands, “Yes, okay, it was after me getting sick and all the god damn post-it notes you fucking asshole.”

He laughed uncontrollably at that.

SO the post-it notes HAD been a good idea.

He was so glad he’d gone to check on them.

“And THEN you’re like ‘let’s have a movie night!’ and MY dumb ass just automatically agrees without thinking of how awkward it might be and then I FALL ASLEEP ON YOU.” they looked exasperated, their face bright red.

“I thought that was quite adorable, actually.” he tried to get himself to wind down, still giggling, “It was… delightfully domestic.”

They paused in their rant. Their expression one of surprise,, “What? Oh… Yeah, I guess… that’s kind of novel for you, huh?”

He sighed contentedly, flopping back onto the pillows, “It’s been positively refreshing… The class, the students, you...” 

And it had been. He hadn’t known how much he’d craved contact before.

Hadn’t realized how much he had needed it.

He chuckled, “I was a mess when you said ''I love you'' over the phone.”

“Same.” they laughed, “I panicked pretty hard. And then the kids made a thing of it and ohhhh my god...”

He chuckled, “It was lovely to hear even if I didn’t think we’d ever...”

He hadn’t…

He had never planned on this…

They looked at him with realization.

Neither of them had.

Suddenly, they pulled him close, resting his head on their chest. Part of him panicked, freezing. Fight or flight. They had him in their arms and-

A hand gently ran over his head and down his back.

The panic eased.

Soft breathing, the sounds of the television distant and buzzing, and above that the sound of their heartbeat. 

The soft scent of spice and sweetness.

It was…

It was _ perfect _.

There was a warmth against his back, arms around him, soft breath on his neck…

What…

This feeling… it was fami-

“Oh...” he glanced back at them. They smiled sleepily, their hair a mess, marks from the blankets on their cheek.

He rolled onto his back.

He’d fallen asleep…

For the first time in…

Five months.

“You okay?” their tone was worried.

He looked at them and realized.

"I do believe… that is the first time I’ve _properly_ _slept_ next to someone…”

They chuckled, “Properly? Was the Nomikai not proper enough?”

He shook his head, “Reader… you don’t _ understand _.”

Of course, they didn’t. Sleeping was like breathing to them. Not something one shuts off or changes their body to go without.

They stared at him, curious.

“You recall I mentioned that I don’t sleep like humans normally do...”

They nodded.

“I suppose you’re right to scold me.” he blushed a bit, scratching at his head, “I don’t… sleep. With certain adjustments, I’ve made I don’t need to... it’s more of a trance state… but...”

Their eyes widened, “You actually fell asleep tonight… like… asleep asleep...”

He nodded, just slightly.

It was…

It was frightening.

Frightening to know that it could happen.

Frightening to have had it happen.

Oh but…

It had been lovely.

They hugged him tightly and he chuckled, "I think I prefer it."

They looked up at him for a moment, then placed a kiss on his cheek, "I'm glad…"

In spite of his fear. Of the anxiety around what had happened…

He felt_ safe _.

He pulled them in closer, kissing them. They laughed softly.

It was perfect.

_ This _ was perfect.

And for tonight…

He didn’t have to let go.


	21. Let Me Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korosensei's POV of [Chapter 57 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/49368668).

_ They were kissing under the crescent moon. The breeze gently ruffling their hair and his robes. When they parted he smiled and their hands came up to cup his cheeks. He reached up, a hand covering their- _

_ A… human hand. _

_ He paused, looking at his hand for a moment then back to them… _

_ Not them...  _

_ Aguri. _

_ She gave him a smile and kissed him lightly. _

_ “What...” his breath caught, “What is...” _

_ She chuckled, “Didn’t I tell you?” _

_ He brought a hand up, running it through her hair, “Tell me what?” _

_ “That you’d mee-” _

_ "First you take the planet Earth round and blue and green!~" _

Wh-

_ "And floating over Tokyo you drop a giant bean~" _

Sunlight filtered through his eyelids.

_ "Put another one in Sichuan, China what a sheen!~ _

What had he…

Sleep.

Dreams…

What had he been dreami-

_ "Taking off from Dubai to Hawaii at Mach 20 leave contrails as you fly~" _

He rolled over with a sigh. Where was this phone?

_ "Double back across the southern hemisphere over the Philippines once again to ol’ Dubai~" _

With a huff, he sat up.

_ "AND THEN" _

Where was the damn thi-

_ “Back to Hawaii drawing lines of latitude every 25 degrees along the way~” _

There.

_ “And there you have it! Korosensei~” _

He swiped the alarm off as the song began to repeat and flopped back down.

There was a sound behind him. Reader…

They leaned in and kissed his cheek gently.

“What was that?” they laughed softly

Oh…

He’d forgotten they hadn’t heard it before...

“Ah-”

“Is your alarm seriously you  _ singing? _ ” they looked delighted.

Probably the first person he’d met that was delighted by the concept of him singing.

“I recorded it for the students as part of a geography lesson!” 

“That’s adorable.” 

He laughed a bit, “The students are not fans.”

Arms wrapped around him, their head tucked into his shoulder, "It's cute."

If only they could see themself. Hair mussed, gentle smile, eyes warm and welcoming…

He reached up, cupping their cheek. Their face turned up to him and he pressed a tender kiss to their lips. Their hand rose to run across his cheek in return.

Their head tipped forward, their forehead pressing to his. What a lovely thing to wake up to...

“You’re going to have to leave today… huh?”

He gave a small nod, “Yes.”

“Okay, but you at least have time for breakfast, yeah?” Putting off the inevitable.

He didn't blame them.

Perhaps he could go out and get them both something. Buy a little extra time in their arms...

“I do, would you like me to-”

A hand was pressed over his mouth, “No. You stay here.”

He faltered, “But, Reader, I could-”

“You could but I’m not letting you.” they grinned, “Come on...”

It would be so much simpler if he just-

Their lips met his in a long slow kiss. When they parted their voice was filled with nothing but affection, “Let me love you."

It was a request he'd never heard before spoken with pure and absolute fondness.

He could have died on the spot.

It was gentlest this that had ever been requested of him.

“Relax for a hot minute, you literally do  _ everything _ at the school. Let me at  _ least _ make you breakfast.”

He…

What could he remotely say to that?

He gave a nod and they kissed him gently on the forehead.

“Tea, yeah?” they asked, heading to the kitchen.

“Yes, please.”

They…

He didn't deserve any of this kindness…

But it was a balm to an ache he'd never known he carried.

He heard them preparing breakfast.

Well...he could at least tidy up in here for them...

He carefully retrieved some of the extra cushions and was just moving them back when-

“Hey!”

He froze and looked up. They were glaring at him through the opening of the kitchen, “What did I tell you to do?”

He faltered, “I thought I would-”

“Relax.” they laughed, “Just… be  _ still _ for a few minutes. You were pretty damn still on tit mountain yesterday!”

Why did they have to remind him?!

“READER!” 

He sat, occasionally moving things about with his tendrils while looking at his phone. It didn't feel right with things being such a mess…

And…

If he was being honest, he'd much rather be lying in here with them for the day…

But… if he wanted to have time with them later he needed to put in the practice now.

After all… he had to make it to the 6th…

What a time the last few days had been…

When the silence broke, it broke fast. Now all he wanted was more…

More of them...

More of this…

Another reason to stay alive as long as possible.

He had to make the most out of this year.

“It’s ready.” their smile turned into a glare. He realized he'd been idly cleaning as he thought, “Am I going to have to tie you to the couch or something?”

He chuckled, “I have doubts that you could...”

“Fine then," they smirked, “I’ll just take away something worse than the snacks.”

He approached the table where they were setting down a steaming bowl.

“I just won’t kiss you anymore.” they abruptly turned and headed into the kitchen.

What?! They'd  _ just _ gotten started!

“Reader!” 

They looked through the gap at him, passing him chopsticks with a grin. “Yeah?”

He launched into a rant. “That’s not fair! We  _ just _ established that I’m touch starved and I do believe it was  _ you _ who said your job is to take care of the entire class. Wouldn’t that be going against your very code?!”

They were laughing, their attention on the food cooking on the stove, “So, are you saying that because I _ like _ you I  _ owe _ you physical affection? Because you know that could be taken  _ quite _ negatively...”

“No no! Nothing like that!” his voice hiked up in alarm.

Why did everyone think that about him? He was certainly an admirer of erotic works but that didn't mean he was-

“Hmmmm… I mean the kids do say that you’re quite the perv sometimes…”

“I’m nothing of the sort-er-not in the way you’re implying!”

“I think Irina might think otherwise.” they chuckled at his cry of outrage.

Why? Did they really think that way about him?

He was going to need to be careful...

“I thought we’d cleared that up! Reader, I-”

They laughed, joining him with their own meal, “I’m just giving you a hard time.”

He… really hope he wasn't giving them some sort of unsavory view of his personality. He didn't want that to tarnish-

There was a gentle laugh and when he looked up from the food he found them crooking a finger at him. He leaned over and they kissed him right between the eyes, “Like I could stop doing that anyway...”

They wanted to keep doing this. They liked it…

He didn't think this fact would ever stop flustering him.

He withdrew, covering his face, “Reader!”

They chuckled and turned their attention to their food. After several minutes of trying to recover, he started working through his own bowl.

The next few moments were peaceful. Quietly eating breakfast together. It was...lovely…

Their voice broke the silence, “Hey...”

He looked up.

“Um… okay so… I imagine you don’t want the kids knowing about… well… everything.”

He gave a slow nod. He thought this might come up...

“But… That’s part of my job too… and I promised them I would give them anything relevant...”

“Well… it is your work, Reader. And far be it from me to tell you how to do it.”

“This is  _ about _ you. You  _ deserve _ to have a say.” their gaze was firm and he found that it warmed his heart that they were so adamant about his agency...

He sighed and gave a nod, “I think that the… more  _ colorful _ aspects of my background aren’t inherently useful for the assassination...”

He hoped that the topic wouldn't have to be explored by the children until after his death...

“That being said, if you have promised to share information with them. I believe you should.”

“Okay, but that could...”

“A conflict of interest. I know. But, remember, we’re educators. Sometimes we teach hard lessons and sometimes we have to learn from our own actions.”

They sighed.

He knew it would be hard for them...

“Perhaps you should ask Ritsu what I told her the night I upgraded her.” he chuckled, “It might enlighten you a bit in that regard...”

Their expression flickered to surprise, “Oh my god! I still have to tell Ritsu about the camera!”

He laughed, “Good, something to do while I’m away.”

“...are you going to be okay up there?”

“I’ll be all alone on a mountain, Reader. How much safer could I be?” they gave a small shrug. The motion was heartbreaking in what it didn't say. He reached across the table and rested his hand on their arm, “I’ll still be messaging you. I’ll keep you updated every step of the way if need be.”

They relaxed, “Okay...”

“Now! Allow me to at least do the dishes.”

He has to pay them back someho-

They laughed, “If you do, then you don’t get to do anything else while you’re here.”

Anything else…

He looked at the living room. He'd tidied it but it was far from clean...

He sighed in defeat. He'd much rather clean up the portion of the house that would take longer. They got up, taking the dishes to the kitchen.

It was frustrating not being able to take care of things. Sitting and being still was not his usual anymore...

“Okay, you, come here.”

They took his arm and dragged him back towards the pillow fort. They pulled him down with him and he sank down next to them, sitting.

They moved forward, expression playful as they pinned his shoulders to the futon.

Panic. Sudden and intense. He was being held, he was trapped, this was dangerous-

Reader sat back almost instantly, concern on their features.

He couldn't meet their eyes. He shouldn't be frightened of them.

He trusted them.

Of all the people he knew they were the one who he would be safe with…

But the fear was still-

They laid down beside him, careful, "Sorry, I-"

Oh, he couldn't let them think he was frightened of them. He turned to them, pulling them closer, "It's alright."

They sighed, looking worried...

“Reader...” they looked up at him and he leaned in, kissing them gently, “It’s  _ alright. _ ”

They gave a small smile, reaching up to touch his face. Oh, he loved that feeling…

“I know you have to go… but… just a little longer?”

He chuckled, touching his forehead to theirs, “How could I say no?”

It was quiet, peaceful. Their hands occasionally running over his cheek or his chest. He nuzzled them from time to time enjoying their warmth, their scent...

All too soon it was time for him to go. He assisted them with cleaning and noticed, among the cushions, a soft teddy bear with a large bowl. 

As he picked it up the scent that came from it was them. Strong and deep. They must have slept with it in the past…

With a certain measure of guilt, he secreted it into his robes. He would return it when the week was up. For now, it would be a happy reminder...

When the cleaning was finished they saw him to the balcony.

“A week.” their voice was unsure, cautious.

“A week.” he offered his hand, one tendril extended.

They laughed and hooked their pinky in it, “I love you.”

He chuckled and pulled them close.

Oh, he didn't want to let go…

“And I, you...”

A kiss and he took off before the temptation to stay could overwhelm him.

It didn't take long to reach Everest. He'd excavated the space he would need just after finals. Once he was safely inside he pulled out his phone

[Arrived safely!]

[Good. ♥️ ]

He took out the bear he'd taken with him and buried his face in it for a moment.

A week.

He could make it through a week...


	22. Fragile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Korosensei's POV of chapter 64 of Senbazuru. ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/49803635)

He had perfected his absolute defense form. He had cleared out his hideaway on Everest and now?

He was on his way to Reader's apartment.

He was giddy, nervous, excited.

It had been a week.

Just a week… he reminded himself.

But oh it had felt like forever.

Their balcony door was open.

They were waiting for him. He felt a surge of emotion at that.

They were _ waiting _ for _ him _.

He landed and ducked inside.

There they were, blushing, and looking anxious. They smelled of spice, sweetness, and the bright tang of nervous energy.

"Hey…" they gave him a smile.

After a week without them he couldn't help himself, he swept them up in his arms. The laugh that came from them was delightful. They cupped his face and he found himself being kissed.

"Oh, I _ missed _ you." He whispered.

Being touched by them after a week without contact was like water to a man dying of thirst.

"I missed you too." They nuzzled him and he found their foreheads pressed together.

God, he had needed this…

Reluctantly, he sat them back down, "I brought dinner." He held up a couple of bags containing their meals, "I hope that's alright."

"It's fine." They chuckled.

"And… ah…." Embarrassed, he offered them their teddy bear he'd borrowed, "My apologies for this…"

They laughed, "It's fine. That's really cute…" the smile they gave him melted his heart, "If you want to keep it with you, you can."

"But Reader, I-"

"Hey, I know the feeling okay?" Their face was bright red, "I mean I was talking to you while you were on Mount Everest in the middle of the night because you weren’t here…"

They had.

He supposed they were both a bit lonely during that week… after all, they'd only sorted this a day or two before he'd left…

The silence dragged on and he began to feel sheepish.

"How about I get this laid out then?" He supplied, gesturing to his futon.

"Sure! I'll be right back…" they vanished into their bedroom

He quickly changed and spread out his futon. Carefully, he arranged the takeout to look a touch more presentable. 

When they returned they were wearing a tank top instead of their usual t-shirt. It looked fantastic on them…

They took a seat beside him, "So… um… did your theory work out?"

He gave a nod, "I've done some testing and I think it will be more than feasible as an option."

“Still not telling me?”

“Well, you’re not going to tell me about their plans.” he chuckled, “Best that we don’t talk about either, hm?”

They nodded.

He hoped that hadn't offended them...

The air was tense and quiet as they ate.

They made short work of clearing things up when they had finished.

He could smell the bright tang of their nervousness as they left the kitchen.

"Reader… is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine…"

Their answer was not convincing.

Gently, he ensnared their wrist with a tendril, guiding them closer. They slid down to the floor, taking a seat beside him.

Their eyes had the quality of a rabbit’s in oncoming traffic.

Carefully, he drew a tentacle up, laying it against their pulse and feeling it slow at the touch.

"Are you sure?"

Their hand came up to stroke lightly at the tentacle, "Why do you do this?"

Their touch was warm...

"It helps me determine someone's state of mind… and it helps to keep them calm." He said softly, "It's a technique I developed before… though not for particularly kind purposes…"

"You've become really good at adapting all of these dangerous things into caring things… you know that right?"

The were looking up at him, their tone was gentle.

"Well, given my new profession it seemed appropriate."

"It is…" their cheeks flushed, "It's something I love about you."

They…

His heart stuttered.

They _ admired _ that about him?

"As far as being okay goes…" they sighed, "It's… it's just been a while… like… since I've had feelings like this…"

He chuckled and reached out, offering a hug.

They embraced him, their head coming to rest as a comfortable weight against his shoulder. Carefully, so as not to worry them, he brushed their hair back and placed a kiss on their forehead.

"It can be quite overwhelming…" he agreed.

They nodded, "It's really stupid. I've been working with you for months but I'm nervous." Their hands scrubbed at their face as though to will the embarrassment away, "I feel ridiculous."

He chuckled, it was a relief to know he wasn't alone in this. 

"Then we can ridiculous together. I feel much the same way…"

They looked up at him in surprise. 

He felt his face grow hot, he looked away for a moment, scratching his head to try to sort out the best way to explain it.

"This is very new to me… and it feels…" he shifted a bit, "fragile…"

His words made the tension evaporate from Reader's frame. The sweet scent of spring growth, the smell of relief emanated from them.

"Worried about messing it up?" Their voice was tentative, seeking...

He nodded, "About making a mistake or offending… this is… well…" this was frightening to admit... "This is the first emotional relationship I've had the freedom to explore… Aguri and I… we were separated and our circumstances…"

They gave a nod, "It wasn't exactly a typical situation with date nights and sleepovers."

Oh how lovely that would have been. Spending those long night talks with Aguri like this...

"I wish." He sighed and then stopped himself, he didn't want Reader to think they were a stand in, a replacement, "I'm sorry that sounded a bit-"

"Shhh…" they chuckled and put a finger to his lips, "I understand. It's okay." Their smile was warm and sweet, “You don’t have to feel bad about loving her.”

Oh…

His heart nearly broke in two at that.

They…They really didn't mind her memory...

He reached up, taking their hand in his and pressing a kiss to their palm. Spice and tantalizing sweetness.

"I appreciate that more than you could ever know." He whispered.

They hid their face in his shoulder. How darling…

He chuckled, his hand still holding theirs…

He raised their arm, placing a tender kiss on their wrist, then their inner forearm.

They smelled divine, their skin soft against his lips.

They gave a shudder and looked up.

Oh dear that was too far, wasn't it?

They smiled and kissed him gently, "So… you wanted a night in. Movies and more cuddling?"

Or perhaps it hadn't been…

And oh how they knew just what he needed…

"That sounds _ wonderful _."

The lights were shut off, the television turned on. They laid down and he pulled them close against him. He-

They glanced back at him and he immediately loosened his hold, drawing back. Had that been too-

They laughed and rolled over, facing him, “It’s okay.”

He gave a nod.

"You nod but you keep looking at me like I'm going to yell at you."

O-oh…

Well… it was a concern…

“I just...” he started to speak and was cut off as they kissed him, cupping his cheeks.

They were smiling gently, "I might be nervous but that doesn't mean I don't _ want _ this."

He often had to remind himself of that.

They wanted him. They wanted this…

He relaxed, "I don't want to seem overbearing…"

They laughed and nuzzled him. "Didn't we _ just _ clarify before you left that you're touch starved? You even used it as an _ excuse _ already!" they pulled back just a bit and patted his cheek, "I don't mind."

They didn’t mind…

What else might they not mind?

What else might they enjoy?

He hoped he would have the time to learn.

He pulled them tight to his chest where they buried their face in his front.

Touch… god he’d missed their touch…

With a bit of hesitation, he trailed a tentacle along their arms. Hands cupped his cheeks and he buried his face into their palm. It was soft and warm and oh how he loved being touched by them…

He noticed, suddenly, that they were staring at him.

They laughed softly, “That’s adorable.”

They couldn’t just SAY things like that while touching him. That was _ too much _.

He buried his face back in their hand, closing his eyes, his face hot.

They pulled their hand away and kissed him, wrapping their arms around his shoulders.

Oh they were just…

They were so lovely and sweet and they wanted him and-

It was overwhelming.

“I’m a mess...” he leaned forward, touching his forehead to theirs.

"Like I'm not?" They giggled.

"We're both a mess." He chuckled.

"I'm alright with that."

They were on the same page.

He spoke softly, "I am too."

They sat up a bit and reached across, pushing on his shoulder, encouraging him to lay back.

Fear surged up in him, unbidden, for a moment, followed immediately by shame.

He shouldn’t feel that way with them…

They laid down beside him, their head resting on his shoulder. One hand came up to run across his chest, ghosting across his neck, and then stroking his cheek. His body relaxed but his heart raced.

Their touch was wonderful…

He trailed a hand up their back and over their bare shoulder, their skin was so soft, so warm…

They began touching him in earnest.

They ran their hands along his arms, kissed his cheek, tangled their legs in his. Feeling encouraged, he turned to face them, kissing them, running his hands along them, tracing the back of their neck lightly.

They shivered and he thought his heart might stop.

They cupped his face again and kissed him.

He would never get tired of that.

They took his hand and he paused, watching them as they kissed it, “You spent all week hurting yourself…”

Oh dear... was he about to be lectured?

“For good reason!”

“I know.” their eyes had an unabashed warmth to them, an open tenderness that was almost hard to look at, “But I want to do something because of it.”

What…

What did that mean?

“Hm?”

They took his other hand and brought it to their lips, pressing a kiss to it, “Kiss it better.”

They-

Ohhhhh they uh…

What did that mean… _ exactly? _

They gave a soft laugh, "What? I did say I like your tentacles."

"You did." He agreed. 

They looked askance of him, "Is it okay?"

He gave the barest of nods, too nervous to speak.

They sat up a bit and took two of the tendrils attached to his arms in hand, kissing them. Ohhhh this…

They slid down and a hand glided along his leg. He resisted the urge to pull back. It was a foreign feeling to be touched there…

They bent down, kissing the spot their hand had just trailed over.

They kissed the next leg and he giggled. Wh-

That-

They laughed, looking at him, “What?”

What indeed…

“Nothing!”

They paused, their expression curious as they reached out and ran their fingers along his next leg. He laughed, alarm suddenly rising in him.

That _ tickled. _

_ That’s _ what that was.

They looked at him in surprise and covered their mouth, "Oh my god, are you _ ticklish?" _

Reaching out, they ran another finger along his leg and he immediately fled to the other side of the room, “Reader, no!”

They were laughing, “That’s cute.”

Cute?!

_ CUTE? _

"It's _ terrible! _" He exclaimed, "What if the children found out?! My ikemen persona would be completely ruined!"

"Oh, that _ would _ be the worst!" they agreed with him but their tone was mocking, "You going to stay in that corner all night or are you going to come back over here with me?"

"How do I know you won't try something?"

"You can literally move at Mach 20. If you can't dodge me tickling you, then I'm going to be shocked and disappointed."

...they had a point.

He joined them, sitting down next to them, on guard. They scooted closer to him, one hand running gently along his back.

Oh… that actually… felt lovely…

He relaxed, enjoying the touch. 

They ran their hand down his arm, laying their head against his back, "You feel nice."

He felt _ nice? _ Oh that-

If only they knew how lovely_ they _ felt.

Their hands skated gently across his skin and it was almost overwhelming, the gentleness and the compliment. He covered his face in embarrassment.

They sighed happily and laid down with their head in his lap.

OH.

They were curled up, a gentle smile on their face as they looked up at him.

This was-

They nuzzled his stomach and he yelped, laughing in surprise.

Oh they were_ lovely _…

Carefully, gently, he reached out with tendrils stroking along their back, shoulders, neck, and face. They were soft and cute. On occasion they made small soft sounds of surprise. He ran one finger up their spine experimentally. They gasped and trembled.

Ohhhhh… that was…

That was darling…

Hm…

He drew a tendril up along their side. Were they also-

They laughed and shot up, scooting away from him, “No!”

“So, I’m not the _ only _ one who is ticklish.”

“Don’t even.” 

“It’s only fair that I know your weaknesses too!” he gestured, “After all, you keep notes on mine.”

“That’s literally my job!”

“And knowing other’s weaknesses is part of mine.”

They pulled up their knees, defensive and suspicious, “What, are you keeping a list?”

Oh no.

Oh no no they couldn’t-

“No, no, nothing like that.” he waved a hand.

They squinted at him, “...You are lying.”

“It’s only for research!” he protested.

“You’re keeping notes on me for _ research? _” they were giving him a look.

“I… well...” he tapped his fingers together, oh he hoped they didn’t take this the wrong way… “I thought you might be an assassin! And besides that if things did happen it would be better to have an idea of what you were like.”

“Okay, you went through my notes. That means I get to at least see this list.”

Oh god.

“It’s only fair.” they grinned at him.

Time to bluff, “Well, I don’t have it with me.”

They pointed at him, “Uh huh, sure. I don’t believe you. You are a genius. A goofy genius but a genius. There’s no way you don’t have that shit memorized.”

They scooted closer, looking at him intensely.

Oh no… had they figured out that their staring could be weaponized already? 

For a long moment they just looked at him but then, they reached out, touching his arm.

He was not prepared for what they said next.

_ “Please?” _

It was gentle, sweet, and he tried to ignore it, ignore their eyes on him but they were touching him and they were giving him that look and-

He was _ weak _.

“Okay, okay. Just don’t_ look _ at me like that.”

They laughed and sat back against the couch, looking at him expectantly.

Did… oh…

Did they want him to _ say _them?

There was no way he could-

“I’m sorry would writing it down be better?” they smirked.

THAT he could manage. He quickly grabbed a pen and paper, jotting the list down from memory and shoving it into their hands. For them it would be instant, of course…

He buried his face in his hands.

This was going to be humiliating…

There was a long pause as they read over it.

“Let’s see here… some of these seem a little questionable. How is _ ‘Thinks Karasuma is a 'pretty chill dude'’ _ a weakness?”

** _OH NO_ **

“DONT READ THEM OUT LOUD!!!” his voice hitched with alarm.

They laughed, “Oh but why not? Does that make your tentacles_ quiver? _”

OH GOD WHYDIDTHEYKEEPBRINGINGTHATUP?!

_ “READER!!” _

“What? You can’t protest! It’s one of my weaknesses, number twenty-seven!”

_ Torments people by bringing up their mistakes. _

He groaned, sliding down to the floor. 

They cackled, “Okay, but what do you mean I _ ‘Compromise my work for favors’ _?”

“You offered to leave out information if I would stop going through your notes...”

“Uh huuuuuh… I guess you know why I tend to stare now… _ WHY _ is _ consentacles _ on here?”

He chuckled, “I think we can both agree that_ is _ one of your weaknesses.”

They blushed brightly, “Okay, but what do you mean about me having bad timing?”

HA OKAY WELL HE WASN’T GOING TO COVER THAT.

“You’ve surprised me!” 

“I… I didn’t realize you’d noticed my autopilot.” they rubbed their face.

“Autopilot?”

“Number twenty-eight...”

“I believe I noticed that the night you asked me to stay over.” he smirked, “You looked quite baffled when I showed back up with my things.”

“I just… respond sometimes and-”

“And answer with what you really want?”

He spoke without thinking but… from their expression it looked like he’d hit the nail on the head.

“YeahsureIguess...”

“Oh there’s one I need to add.” he took the paper and quickly jotted down his most recent find:

  * __Ticklish.__

They sighed and rubbed at their face for a moment before looking at him, “And you say _ I _torture people.”

Time to toy with them a little bit...

“Nurufufufu~” he leaned in, “I did say before that it’s fun to watch you squirm.~”

Their eyes went wide. He leaned in and gave them a quick kiss before sitting back.

Finally he’d gotten the upper hand again.

They practically pouted and sighed, leaning against him. He looped an arm over their shoulders. Their warmth and weight pressed against him was grounding. It felt… safe.

“Hmmm… Maybe I shouldn’t bring that outfit Irina got me to Okinawa...”

HOLD ON, WAIT.

“What?”

“Yeah, she took me out yesterday and had an outfit tailored for me, but I don’t know… I mean our tastes aren’t really compatible…”

Oh that could mean a lot of things but given Irina’s propensity towards showing skin he was definitely interested in knowing what she’d had made for them…

“I’m sure Irina would be upset if you didn’t wear it...”

“Hmmm… true...”

“I imagine you’ll be bringing your swimsuit as well...”

They glanced at him.

He’d probably said too much, oh dear...

“Well, it is the beach.” they chuckled, “Kinda need one if we’re going in the water at all.”

Silence…

Silence and the overwhelming feeling of foreboding.

The assassination attempt would be soon…

He wanted to take all the time he could to be close to them…

Laying down, he reached out, gently pulling them down with him. They complied, laying back and looking up at him with wide eyes. He gently traced their cheek, tendrils pulling the blanket up around them both.

He would be careful… he didn’t want to upset them. He would keep this to similar motions they had made…

Leaning down, he kissed them and then allowed his hand to drift down their neck, the center of their chest…

He stopped at their stomach and they let out a rush of air. 

He chuckled. Adorable…

Laying down beside them, he pulled them close.

“It will be alright.” he whispered, “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

They kissed him in return, “You better not. We’re going somewhere next weekend.”

He was so glad they remembered. 

“Of course...”

No matter what may come in the next few days… this moment was perfect...

They buried their face in his neck, the warmth of their breath against his skin.

_ What he wouldn’t give for a little more time like this... _


	23. Talk Too Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Koro's POV of chapter 79 of [Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/51242563).

The second they were inside he swept them up in a hug, kissing them. They laughed, hands coming up to stroke his cheeks.

He could just  _ melt _ . The island had been fun, of course, and thrilling! Seeing the children in action, their plans, Nagisa’s show of force… it had all come out wonderfully.

But this… he pressed his forehead to theirs.

This domesticity was addicting.

He reluctantly set them down and, in short order, food had been ordered and Reader had showered. He waited on the couch, impatient. They emerged from the shower, still rubbing at their hair with a towel.

Adorable.

They put the towel in the laundry and turned to look at him.

Oh, that smile…

As they approached he prepared to compliment them but they promptly flopped onto the couch, their head in his lap. He yelped and they just gave him a mischievous grin, “That was cute.”

THEY COULDN’T JUST BEAT HIM TO THE PUNCH LIKE THAT!

“Reader!”

“What? No one is around to overhear so now I can say you’re adorable as much as I want,” they looked so proud of themself.

How darling…

The scent of warm fall spice, their sparkling eyes…

He’d needed this.

“Well, if that’s the case then I suppose I should tell you just how stunning you looked in Okinawa.” he chuckled, “Or perhaps you would rather hear about how much I wanted to linger in that cavern with you a little longer…”

Their cheeks flushed and they laughed, “With your scary Twister and the Pocky game?”

Oh… that… wasn’t  _ quite _ what he’d had in mind...

He thought of how they’d pulled him into the alcove, the worried look in their eyes…

His voice dropped to a softer tone, “I was referring to  _ before _ the assassination attempt.”

They stretched a bit, “I think kissing on a couch is a little more comfortable though, don’t you?”

“Perhaps,” he stroked their cheek, “though you can’t argue that it wasn’t more exciting.”

It had been… sneaking around for something as juvenile as a kiss was new to him and there was a novelty to it. So many romantic stories had it as an element and participating in it… well, he could  _ certainly _ see the appeal.

“Ohhh I see, so being here with me isn’t exciting enough?” they gave a pout.

WHAT? NO.

“I didn’t say that!”

They smiled up at him, their tone dipping in a way he wasn’t familiar with, "Well, I mean I could always make it more exciting if you want.~"

They-

What were they implying?!

The intercom interrupted before he could investigate THAT particular avenue of discussion any further.

They quickly hopped up, “You might want to-”

He fled to the bedroom, one part of necessity and one part of sheer flustered panic.

What did that mean?  _ More exciting? _

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered but well…

He dragged his hands down his face. He’d been letting them take the lead this whole time and this sudden turn had him both excited and panicked.

What did they MEAN by more exciting?

WHAT DID THEY WANT TO DO EXACTLY?

How did one ASK that?

His previous experience hadn’t prepared him for this. Things were always detached, distant. This was close contact and uncertainty and it was... Was  _ this _ what people dealt with? 

Their warm laugh came from the living room, “You can come out now you know.” 

COULD he? He took a breath to calm himself and finally stepped out, “No troubles I assume?”

They shook their head, setting the table, “Nope, we’re all good. Shall we?”

Two sumptuous spreads of nigiri and miso soup. Excellent. A delicious distraction from his current tense state.

They took a seat and pulled out their chopsticks, snapping them apart, “The best thing about moving here.”

A chance to recover some face. He smirked, teasing them, “Sushi ranks above me?”

They rolled their eyes, “Present company excluded.”

Well… 

Maybe he could… test the waters a bit…

“You know,” he picked up a piece of shrimp sushi, “Nagisa wrote a report on sushi earlier in the year.”

“Yeah?”

He gave a nod, “Apparently his favorite ingredient is octopus.”

“Octopus, huh?” they smirked, “New assassination attempt: they’re going to make you into sushi.”

There were several reasons why that wouldn’t work but it was an amusing thought.

“Nurufufufu~ It certainly would be a  _ creative _ approach but not a very palatable one, I’m afraid. I doubt silicone and antimatter would do well in your average human’s stomach. The boy  _ did  _ say he wondered what my tentacles tasted like though.”

Reader coughed suddenly, eyes wide.

“Are you alright?”

They waved him off, coughing, “‘M good, I’m good...”

Hmmm…

They took a drink and when he was sure it wouldn’t cause another coughing fit, he spoke.

“Perhaps that’s something you’ve wondered about too?”

They blushed brightly and buried their face in their hands, “Oh my god!”

Oh dear… had he pushed too far?

They peeked up at him.

“I’m sorry, I-”

They laughed, cutting him off, “Relax.” their hands rubbed over their face, “Come on you say worse stuff to Irina and I’m _ sure _ you’ve written much,  _ much _ worse in those fan letters of yours~”

OH NO

NAGISA WHY?

He gave a shriek of alarm, “READER!”

“What?” they grinned at him, “Sorry, does that make your tentacles...”

“DON’T SAY IT!”

They leaned across the table with a smirk,  _ “Quiver?~” _

He buried his face in his hands. The sound of their laughter was positively gleeful as his embarrassment.

Their back and forth tonight was certainly making him quiver.

After a few moments he managed to collect himself, “It’s not the same.”

They raised an eyebrow, “Yeah? Why?”

“Well, ah...”

Because I don’t want to frighten you away.

Because I don’t want you to leave.

Because I want you.

Because...

They were still looking at him skeptically, taking another bite of their sushi.

“You see-” he was flustered, ‘Irina gets angry and she’s trying to assassinate me. It’s quite fun to rile her. I’m sure you know that yourself, you’ve done it!”

“Mmmmhmmm…” they swallowed and sat back, considering him, “And the actresses and models?”

OH, COME ON!

“They’re used to fan mail it’s only natural to express my gratitude to them for putting such lovely work out into the world!”

They laughed, “I mean, it is work but pretty sure that’s not why you look at it...”

OH

HE WAS GOING TO  _ DIE. _

“READER!” he covered his face again.

How could they switch so quickly between teasing and being a tease this was torture…

He shivered just slightly. Perhaps… a little truth was in order…

“I’m quite… worried… when it comes to you...”

They set their soup down, looking at him in surprise, “What?”

How could he say this?

“Well, as I said before this feels fragile...”

A hand was suddenly clasping one of his, pulling it away from his face. Their smile was gentle, amused, “It’s okay. I know you do those things, don’t I?” and just when he was starting to relax--

“Or maybe you just don’t find me noteworthy.~”

He rushed to reassure them that he did, indeed, find them noteworthy and they fell into laughter.

This was  _ torture _ .

When they had both recovered, him from his embarrassment and them from their laughing fit they moved to the living room. The second he sat down they were curled up next to him, warm and small in comparison to himself. Gently, he looped an arm around their shoulders. 

After a moment, they spoke, "Did you know Takebayashi has been showing Risu robot films?"

“Yes, she mentioned it to me.”

“Think that’s a good idea?”

He looked down at them in surprise, “Is it a good idea for our students to bond over film?”

They bit their lip in concern, “I mean… well… humans have weird views on AI and robots… I worry it might affect her.”

A valid point but, given their trend towards protection, a bit too cautious...

“She can’t be kept from that forever I’m afraid. She experienced difficulties with her classmates early on for the same reason and now look at how well she’s doing!”

They nodded, “I just worry it’ll… I don’t know… shape how she sees herself. She’s got free will, that should be encouraged. I don’t want her to think she can’t be anything but useful to people to exist, you know?”

He considered how to explain it for a moment before he spoke, “Would you ban the girls in the classroom from watching media?”

“What? No?”

He chuckled, “Women are often portrayed in similar ways in media. Does that mean we should tell our students to avoid those topics altogether?”

They made a face, clearly unsatisfied, “No.”

“We should encourage them, of course, not to focus on one source. As educators, it's our job to steer them towards things that will enrich them. People can be cruel and so can life. Better they learn it safely than to learn it first hand and not be prepared.”

They considered this for a long moment before smirking up at him.

Oh no.

“Bold words for someone who ogles the local office blonde.”

OH NO!

“Reader! Why do you insist on bringing that up?”

Unless…

He grinned wider, “Could it be that you’re jealous?”

They gave him a smirk and poked his face gently, “Nah, it’s just fun to watch you freak out.”

His expression must have given away his displeasure. They laughed.

Even if it was at him… he loved that laugh.

Perhaps now would be a good time to address something Nagisa had brought up…

“The children mentioned that you’ve issued them a challenge…”

“Yeah. They want to know why I’m a pacifist. Told them if they pass their next test for First Aid, they’ll get answers.”

He paused, watching them. Given their… unique situation he could understand that they wouldn’t want to participate in the assassination.

But what if they hadn’t developed feelings?

What had prompted their stance?

His hand idly brushed the tattoo on the back of their neck, “What are your reasons… if I may ask?”

They reached up, putting their hand over his, “That’s part of it, yeah. But…” the thousand-yard stare they often got when worried took over their expression, “I saw some really messed up stuff when I worked as a paramedic. Between the two it kinda cinched it for me that I wouldn’t be okay taking anyone’s life.”

So… there was more darkness in their past than he’d first considered.

Well, something to make up for in the time he had with them.

“So, you spent a week hacking off your tentacles and then twenty-four hours in an orb. Guess that’s why you wanted to run around so much the last day?” Their subject change was abrupt but spoken with a smile.

He was happy to let them change it.

“It was nice. And I much preferred sharing the bed with you when I wasn’t in my ultimate defense form.”

A night of rolling around in blankets and being pressed against them… but not in the way he might have hoped for.

“Sorry about that… I probably should have thought of the logistics beforehand...”

“Nonsense! I did imply that I would be happier with you, after all...”

They looked at him, concerned, “Still, it couldn’t have been that comfortable.”

“Ah, well...” he felt his face heat up, “It was comfortable enough.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” they relaxed with a sigh, “You had me really worried.”

He hated that he’d caused such a problem but he was happy with the outcome. But he had to admit...

“I do apologize… though I was worried for all of you as well.”

They paused and looked up at him.

Their expression shifted a bit, worry creasing their features again. Sitting up they stroked his cheek, “Hey, but everything came out okay...”

He nodded, cupping their hand with his.

Warm fall spice. Persimmons.

Peace.

He looked into their eyes for a long moment watching as the worry changed into-

They leaned forward, kissing him but… certainly not in their usual way. This was more insistent, almost demanding. He made a small sound of surprise and brought his arms up to encircle them.

They parted for only a moment for air, their arms encircling his neck and their breath hot against his lips. There was barely a moment to breathe.

Oh, this…

Where was  _ this _ going?

Was _ this _ what they meant by more exciting?

Because if so he  _ wholeheartedly approved _ .

After several minutes of passionate kissing, they finally parted and stared at him. Their face was hot with blush and they looked shocked at their own behavior, "I...uh..." 

Adorable.

Absolutely adorable.

He chuckled, "Well, that was  _ quite _ enjoyable."

They laughed.

Oh, that laugh.

He couldn’t help himself. He pulled them back in, kissing them deeply. They shivered and he felt their hands grasping at his robes.

Yes.

God, yes.

He pulled them closer before realizing they were awkwardly sitting up on their knees.

No need for them to be uncomfortable…

He pulled them into his lap, straddling him. 

They made a sound of alarm and he paused, worried, 

"Are you oka-"

They pulled him close, kissing him again. He chuckled against their lips and held them close, savoring the sensation and the way they clung to him.

When they finally parted again they gasped, looking at him, "Why didn't you do that  _ sooner? _ "

SOONER?

They’d wanted to do that  _ SOONER? _

His face was burning from more than just the makeout now, "Well… I wasn't entirely sure how well you might take it."

They laughed, their expression one of fondness and a sort of relief, "Well I think you got your answer."

"I do believe I did."

What…

What else might they…

They stared at him for a long moment, "I… I have a question... actually."

His chest knotted with anticipation.

"Can I just…" they seemed to be struggling to find their words. Finally, they reached up, cupping his cheek, "I just want to touch you…"

WHAT?

It was difficult to breathe, to get the words out. 

"In what way?"

They tipped their head, pressing their forehead to his. Their voice was softer, more tender, "I… I was really worried… on Okinawa. And I just… I just want you to feel… Well…" they stroked his cheeks, kissing him softly, "Loved and safe…"

Oh, that…

He practically melted at that.

Their hands trailed down across his shoulders, "I… I don't know if holding you can do that but I hope it helps?"

As much as before had been intense and something he would love to pursue, this gentle request was one he positively could not refuse. They were beginning to look uncomfortable. He couldn’t let that stand.

He pulled them close, kissing them gently.

"If I can do the same…" they looked at him with a smile that made his heart ache, “I was worried too… I haven't had  _ nearly _ as much time as I want with you yet…" he confessed.

They gave a soft laugh and pulled him close, kissing him and cradling his head close to them. He ran his hands along their back carefully. He didn’t want to overstep. Even with their sudden move tonight he felt it best to let them set the pace.

He stroked their cheek and they nuzzled into it. That look, their happy sigh…

He knew that feeling all too well.

"Reader… I don't think I'm the only one who is touch starved…"

They looked at him in surprise, “Huh?”

"Three or four years without much contact… I think you might need this almost as much as I do."

He could feel their face warm under his hand. Their expression was ashamed and a bit hollow. That wouldn’t do.

They needed a distraction and he was happy to provide.

He kissed them softly and decided to test the limits… just a bit. Carefully, he kissed down the side of their neck. He was rewarded with a shiver.

Ohhhh that was…

He buried his face in their shoulder, running a hand along their spine.

He wanted to feel more of that…

They laughed softly and kissed the top of his head.

Hands slid down to his arms, trailing along exposed skin before slipping up into his sleeves. He paused and looked at them in surprise. They looked askance of him and he gave a small nod with bated breath.

Their hands were warm and soft, gliding across his skin gently.

How could something so simple feel so good?

He fiddled a bit with the hem of their shirt, trying to work up the courage to ask-

They gave a nod before he could say a thing.

He slipped a tendril under their shirt along their back, enjoying their warmth and the prickling excitement of the contact.

It was  _ heavenly _ .

There was simply so much he’d missed out on.

So much…

They pressed their forehead to his, their palms still warm to his skin, "You feel nice…"

"As do you…"

He pulled them close, crossing his arms across their back, gently caressing their shoulder blades. They brought their hands up to his shoulders and he was suddenly struck by how small they were in comparison to him and yet how careful they were.

They knew he was unkillable.

And yet they were being careful.

Not out of fear… but concern.

"I love you," he spoke before he could stop himself.

Their reply was instant, "I love you too." 

Even with everything tonight, he wanted to be sure, "This…" he trailed his fingers along the skin of their back lightly, “This is alright?"

They nodded and buried their face in his shoulder, "It's perfect."

He relaxed, nuzzling them, holding them close.

This was lovely…

Perhaps they could…

"Ah… Reader… would…"

They looked up at him, curious. It was heartbreakingly charming.

"Would you have any objection to me spending the night?"

They laughed softly, kissing him, "Of  _ course _ not. I figured you were anyway. You're  _ always _ welcome to stay."

That was the best thing he had ever heard. 

He touched his forehead to theirs, "All I've wanted since Okinawa was to hold you…"

They laughed, teasing, "You want to hold me in your tentacles all night?~"

There was no other response he could give but…

"Yes."

They blushed brightly at that and he leaned in, kissing them, "If you'll allow it, of course…"

"I would love that…"

In short order, he had the futon ready for them both. He shut off the lights and when they climbed under the blankets Reader immediately pulled him close, "I want to make sure we have the best time together that we can."

He wanted that… so much.

"I as well." he pressed his forehead to theirs, “We should rest...”

“Yeah...”

They seemed almost disappointed by that.

He would love to see where things would go from here but-

“After all, we have somewhere to be tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

He chuckled, “Reader… it’s Friday.”

Their eyes went wide, “OH!” they promptly buried their face in his front, “Ididn’tforgetIswear!”

He laughed, “The trip to Okinawa did take quite a lot out of both of us. Tomorrow’s Peace Memorial should be a much calmer event.”

“Yeah. Definitely.”

He nuzzled them, “I love you.”

“Love you too...”

Their hand came up to lay on his chest above his heart right where the crescent moon normally hung.

He pressed his lips to their forehead gently.

Tomorrow would be a somber event but for tonight things were quiet and calm and Reader was a bundle of warmth and sweetness in his arms.


	24. Thorough NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Koro's POV of [Chapter 84 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/52191085).

Reader was certainly not in condition to take care of themself tonight. He set them down gently in their living room and watched as they collapsed onto the couch. They were clearly still in pain.

“Allow me to fix you dinner.”

“I mean… can’t really stop you can I?” they dropped their head back on the cushions with an exasperated sigh.

He chuckled and did a quick survey of the kitchen. Not a lot to work with but it would be doable.

“Is there anything you’d like?”

Their response was tired, “Nah, go nuts. Surprise me.”

Something simple but filling, minimal ingredients-

Hambāgu. Perfect.

He set about prepping the ground beef, chopping onions, pulling out panko. In short order two patties were steaming on the stove.

There was a groan from the living room.

Oh dear…

He found them rubbing at the sore spot on their back again.

Perhaps…

Well…

"If you're still sore I would be more than happy to assist."

They looked up at him in surprise, “Hm?”

Did he really need to spell it out for them?

"You did say you were interested in a more… thorough massage."

Their face flared up and they stared at him for a long moment.

This was  _ anxiety inducing _ .

Was it too muc-

The straightened, wincing, "Could you?"

Ohhhh…

He’d been _ hoping _ to hear that.

"Let's get you comfortable first, shall we?"

He scooped them up, depositing them quickly and carefully on their futon.

They were stretched out, face pressed into the pillow.

"All right, good and comfortable?"

"As I can manage?" Their reply was muffled.

In his old life he would have seen this as weakness. Their back to him, lying prone. In this moment he could kill them a hundred times over.

"This will only take a moment."

Things moved slowly for him, but quickly for them.

He laid his hands on their shoulders first. Tense. Taut.

His smile dipped just slightly as he began to work out knots and readjust joints. Reader was exceptionally stiff in his tentacles. Had they slept well? Were they feeling overworked? Had training been that much today?

A moan came from them as he worked a particularly stubborn knot from their back.

Oh what a  _ sound _ that was…

He felt himself shiver. God, what he wouldn't give to hear that tone around his name.

He kept up his work, memorizing the dips and curves of their body as he did so. Careful not to overstep but absolutely taking his time to enjoy the feel of them. They were so beautiful, so close…

And they were making delightful noises.

Delightful, torturous noises.

Those sounds were…

He should finish this up quickly, those sounds were becoming a bit… much for him to handle.

He managed the last knot and stepped back. They were lying face down still, panting.

"Better?~"

They rolled into their back, breathless and flushed, "That felt  _ amazing _ ."

They looked amazing. They smelled amazing. Everything about them right now was  _ amazing _ .

He felt himself lean forward, drawn in and-

_ Ping! _

What was he doing? God, this wasn't the time, he hadn't even…

"Let me check that. You just relax."

He fled to the kitchen, checking the offending timer and steadying himself on the sink. That was an image he'd be thinking about later. Them laying back, one strap of their tank top sliding off a shoulder, hair amuss, staring wide eyed and breathless…

He shuddered.

He needed to pull himself together.

But the idea of them under him… making them cry out like that…

He took a long breath, calming himself. He could see to this feeling later. Right now…

The food still needed to cook.

_ Damn _ . It would have been an easy distraction. He came back into the room to see Reader sprawled happily on their futon, still flushed. They were stretching and ohhhhhh…

The way they moved was…

This was  _ killing _ him.

"Reader?"

They sat upright looking almost guilty. 

That simply wasn't fair how cute it looked…

He paused.

There was a smell to the room. Sweet and heady with an undercurrent of..

_ Persimmons. _

His eyes widened in realization.

They were  _ aroused _ .

_ That _ was what that smell was.

_ Oh my... _

"Everything fine I trust?"

They stumbled up to their feet, looking even guiltier, "Yeah, that was just…"

They gave a very satisfied sigh.

He _ had _ to get them out of this bedroom. It was becoming too much to bear.

Gently, he guided them back into the living room, "I  _ do _ pride myself on being  _ very _ thorough.~"

They looked at him, their face was possibly an even brighter red than before.

"I'm afraid the food isn't ready quite yet."

They gave a smile, "That at least gives me time to take a shower."

Oh…

A  _ shower… _

As if his imagination wasn’t ALREADY running wild.

Well, at least the temptation would be out of sight…

"Yes, you do that and I'll mind the meal."

They gathered clothes and made their way to the bath. He tended to the food on the stove welcoming the distraction and chance to calm himself. 

What a night…

Perhaps he should talk to them about this…

No, no, he had told himself he’d let them take the lead and that’s what he was going to-

He heard the door to the bathroom open and shut. Apparently they’d finished their shower. However the scent of their arousal had only escalate-

Oh…

OH!

He could feel his colors flickering on his face. Unable to settle between green stripes or bright pink.

Reader had  _ absolutely _ just gotten off in their shower.

He felt a distinct sense of pride at that.

But it certainly did not help  _ his _ situation any…

A hand touched his arm and he nearly shrieked. Reader was standing there looking up at him in surprise, “You okay?”

The scent of their body wash had done  _ nothing _ to mask the scent of what they’d been doing.

He was going to  _ die _ .

They were going to  _ KILL _ him.

And they wouldn’t even know  _ WHY _ .

“Oh! Yes! I’m fine!” he said quickly, changing the subject, “I hope you like hambāgu!”

“Yeah.” they smiled. GOD that smile, “It’s great.”

“Perfect.” he quickly scooped up plates and cutlery, “Shall we?”

The sooner they could get this distraction underway the better…

For a few moments they were both distracted by their meals but Reader glanced up at him, their voice soft suddenly, “Hey, uh...”

“Hm?”

“Thanks, that really helped my back.”

OH, I’M SURE IT DID READER. I’M SURE IT DID.

He just grinned in response, “Of course! Anytime.”

Absolutely anytime.

Just  _ ask _ .

For the love of GOD  _ ask _ .

God, that scent was overpowering.

He  _ had _ to get out of here.

“You know it occurs to me this would go perfectly with some mugicha! Give me just a moment, I’ll be back!”

Without taking any time to explain himself he was off and out the window.

He hated leaving them so suddenly but if he didn’t take a moment…

Well... he didn’t want to push things too far. He was still trying to let Reader take the lead.

Oh but they were making this  _ difficult. _

Thankfully Mach 20 made distance a non-issue for going back to his home. Once there he sat back, his back to one of the walls, and let the pearlescent tentacles emerge from the aching space below his legs. This had to be quick…

The way their skin had felt under his hands. The way they had heated up with his touch. The overpowering scent of them. That look when he’d finished.

Oh god their sounds…

What would they sound like moaning his name?

He wrapped one tentacle in a coil tightly around the other, thrusting through it. The sound of their moans running through his head. The way they shuddered, tensed, relaxed under him…

The scent of persimmons, rich in the air…

God how had he MISSED it?

Thinking back that made many of their interactions _ significantly _ more interesting.

The other night’s impromptu make out session for instance…

The weight of them in his lap, the insistent, demanding way they’d kissed him. Their hands along his skin…

And tonight, clearly they had enjoyed his tentacles but that guilty look on their face.

They certainly didn’t need that. He was absolutely flattered to get that response from them.

He remembered their words from yesterday.

_ "Exciting enough for you?" _

_ If only they knew. _

He imagined pinning them down the same way he’d done tonight. Touching them, caressing them, entering them, watching them squirm and moan in his grasp. Those gorgeous, aching sounds that made him shiver.

What would that sound feel like when their mouth was wrapped around one of hi-

He shook, crying out softly as his body trembled, colors flickering over him. He knew how soft their lips where, how warm their mouth was, it…

He shivered again, thrusting his tentacle a bit slower, letting his body settle.

God…

God he _ wanted _ them…

After a moment he quickly rushed to get himself in order and headed back, being sure to stop off for some barley tea. Couldn’t have his excuse getting away from him after all.


	25. If I Can’t Have You NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say [Chapter 86](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/52300048) was frustrating for everyone.

Things had been... _ interesting _ lately. Reader had been _ particularly _ hands-on and it was leaving him with an ache for their touch.

They had certainly turned up the heat and it left him with a dilemma: Ask or Wait.

It had only been a few weeks...wasn't that too soon?

Then again... They were on a time limit.

Asking felt... Well...

Odd.

Almost intrusive.

He'd let them lead specifically to ensure proper communication but maybe he should clarify…

Tonight had been worse than usual. The teasing, the suggestion of the love hotel-

THEY HAD PLAYED FOOTSIE WITH HIM.

He buried his face in his hands in embarrassment.

It had been SO much. So very, VERY much.

He hadn’t been able to stop himself when they got through their door. All he’d wanted was to touch them, kiss them, taste them…

It had taken all of his restraint to refuse when they asked him to spend the night.

He actually did have preparations to do. There were still portions of his lesson plans he needed to adjust given Okinawa’s results.

Spending the night with them would have been tempting in too many ways.

He’d already struggled with stopping when he had them against the door.

GOD WHY COULDN’T THEY JUST ASK?

Could he ask? If so, how did one DO that?

They weren’t always up to speed on things, they might think he was joking or they might consider it rude or-

Was the love hotel suggestion serious? Was that what he should do?

He ran his hands over his face in exasperation.

Tomorrow’s surprise was going to be incredibly difficult if they kept this up…

He took a cleansing breath.

He could worry about that tomorrow.

In the meantime, he needed to get something out of his system...

He sat back, letting a tentacle slowly sprout from the space below.

Now... There was something he'd been meaning to try...

Near the space his tentacle was extended from he allowed some of his mass to sink inward forming a cavity. It was an odd sensation but exciting.

Taking the sensitive tentacle, he brushed it against his newly formed entrance.

Ohhhh...

He dipped the tentacle inward-

He tensed, curling in on himself.

How could that feel so_ good? _

Was that what it would feel like for Reader?

He started carefully moving, slow and even thrusts that made him shiver. It was almost overwhelming feeling both sides of it. Warm sensitive flesh entering him and also gripping him tightly.

He hoped he would get the chance to share this with them.

As he moved he pictured them below him, their body shaking, lips parted, crying out for more.

Oh, what he wouldn't give them if they simply _ asked _ . He would pleasure them until they could barely _ breathe _ if they so wished.

They simply had to _ ask _.

God, he _ hoped _ they would ask...

He continued to thrust the tentacle into himself, moaning softly. Their scent, the way their body pressed against his, the warmth of their thigh as his tentacle wrapped around it, the hungry, needy way they had kissed him the other night...

_ Persimmons… _

His head had been in their lap tonight and it had been overwhelming. He thought he was going to die.

_ All _of tonight had been a test of his restraint.

How tempting it had been trailing a tentacle up their thigh... He'd wanted to push things further tonight so badly but...

They still hadn't asked and he'd had previous obligations...

Oh but what if he _ hadn't? _ What if he'd kept them pinned against their door, stripping away those lovely clothes… watching them embarrassed and aroused asking him to stop teasing them and just-

He trembled, pushing the tentacle deeper into himself, picturing Reader clinging to him, moaning against his neck. Imagining burying himself in them...

He wanted to please them, to feel them, to have their warm flesh wrapped in his tentacles. He wanted to feel the pulse of their body as they came, hear their cries, hear them say his name-

He cried out, shuddering as the feeling raced through him. Every nerve was alight, every touch overwhelming.

Oh god, but the idea of them was just...

He trembled but kept thrusting into himself, riding it out to build up again.

He wondered how long they could last. How many times he could get them to scream his name...

_ God _, he wanted to hear that.

He remembered the game of_ I've Never _ on the ferry...

They liked being tied up...

He shuddered. He could hold them in ways that kept them bound...

How did they like it? Wrists? Ankles? Perhaps their whole body...

It... Wasn't _ exactly _ in his usual tastes but if they enjoyed it then the idea of trying it certainly excited him.

Maybe he could hold them still and tease at them til they-

He writhed at the idea.

The thought of them shuddering in his tentacles, gasping, moaning...

Oh, he wanted them to come for him.

What would they taste like? It would be easy enough to hold them in a way that prevented them from escaping his tongue. He could put it to use on them until-

He trembled, gasping at the thought of having his mouth on them as they came.

He was still shaking, colors flickering across his skin as he tried to catch his breath, withdrawing the tentacle from himself. 

God, if only they would ask...

He closed his eyes, draping one arm across his face. If they hadn't asked by the beginning of the semester, he should find a way to approach the topic...

He'd done a bit flirty insinuations but Reader had made it crystal clear they were as dense as Karasuma in that department. Despite their delightful flirtation and banter.

He hoped they wanted it...

He...

He hoped they wanted _ him _...

The thought gave him pause.

They had been stopping short during all of these moments...

What if they didn't...

What if they weren't comfortable with it?

Sure, they collected stories about tentacled creatures and monster romances but maybe when faced with the very real prospect it was too much. Perhaps he should speak with them about it. He didn't want them to feel unnecessarily conflicted after all...

He reached out, pulling the bear they'd given him over to his chest, letting their scent soothe him.

If they hadn't addressed it by the semester's start then he would speak with them.

He hoped that it wouldn’t cause trouble but…

This was something that needed to be sorted.


	26. Honored NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *throws confetti*  
Merry Christmas ya'll!  
Alternate POV of [Chapter 90 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/52418380).

What an evening. It had been quite lovely, Takebayashi's revelation aside. He'd made a decent amount of money from his side businesses, watched his students show off their skills, and he been able to spend time with Reader…

And got an excellent photo of them for the yearbook with Karma’s little antic.

They opened their apartment door and smiled back at him, "Give me a minute. I need to shower."

Oh good… he hadn't been sure if he was just dropping them off or staying…

They made their way to their room to retrieve clothing and he busied himself in the kitchen. A cup of tea would be a lovely way to wind down from the excitement. Perhaps they'd want him to spend the night…

He didn't want to assume of course but it was often the case when he visited.

Something he rather enjoyed.

As he prepared the two mugs he considered the last few weeks.

They had been fantastic. Getting to spend time with Reader, having fun with the children, watching them develop into trained killers, it was… rewarding. All of it.

He was certainly appreciating the downtime though and Reader had been quite adept at getting him accustomed to it.

The amping and fluctuating tension between the two of them seemed muted tonight, calmer. It put him at ease. Perhaps tomorrow he could approach that topic with them...

He made his way to the couch, mugs in hand, and took a seat to wait. Not long after Reader emerged, still slightly damp from the shower and sporting pajamas. Adorable…

He offered them their mug and they accepted it, taking a seat next to him.

"That was an interesting evening." His eyes closed as he took a sip of his tea, "I was a bit worried no one would show up."

“Just a bit?” they laughed, "You think?”

“Well, I was worried!”

This would be one of his rare chances to attend a festival with the children. One of the few precious memories he didn’t want to miss...

“Well, you know _ I _ couldn't miss out on a festival with you."

He loved to hear that…

"I'm happy I was able to share it with you and the students."

"Even if you spent most of the time vending?" they smirked.

“Well, what sort of model would I be to the students if I passed up an opportunity like that?!”

“I could say the same about that kiss.”

THE KISS.

_ Another _ confusing signal.

“They could have SEEN!” his voice pitched up.

They laughed and eyed him, “Didn’t you say that was exciting on Okinawa?”

He… he had but… well...

They chuckled, “Even with all of the drama though… it was a good night I think.”

He nodded, “I agree.”

It had been.

They sipped their tea for a moment before speaking, "You know...um...we could make the night better if you're interested…"

_ Oh? _

"Hm?"

"Well, I was thinking you could spend the night…"

As he suspected. What an absolutely lovely way to round out this evening. 

They were blushing too.

Cute.

"Um…" Reader bit their lip for a moment looking unsure, "You...can you um…"

Something was on their mind...

He reached out, placing a hand on their shoulder, "What is it, Reader?"

What they said next was NOT what he was expecting.

"Can you have sex?"

Oh?!

** _OH?!_ **

They stumbled over their words trying to explain, "I-I mean I know you look at magazines and you  _ like _ things but like I didn't know if you could still  _ do _ things since you've changed and God this is  _ weird _ now that I'm saying it out loud. I'm sorry I-"

He covered his face. Oh, good God what...

_ Oh dear... _

This was not how he'd expected this would go in the  _ slightest _ . 

He was caught entirely off guard.

"I'm sorry. We can forget it if-"

Oh, he DEFINITELY didn’t want to forget it!

THEY HAD  _ ASKED _ .

He laughed, they were  _ still  _ apologizing...

With a sigh, he looked at them, "You certainly  _ were _ to the point….” 

Wait...

They had asked '_can_ _you_ have sex?' not 'can _we_ have sex?'.

Ohhhh…

_ OHHHHHHHHHHHH... _

“You weren’t sure if I coul-” realization crept into his voice, “Oh, Reader...” He started laughing, “I’m so sorry, I should have… that is...”

They were bright red, panic playing across their features, “Well I mean I didn’t want to bring it up! You’re... you know, you’ve been through a lot and I wasn’t sure if it would be something that would be upsetting to you. Like if you  _ couldn’t _ that just seemed like it’d be not the BEST thing to bring up...”

He chuckled, “And I was worried you would be offended given your response to Irina...”

“What?”

They looked up at him, puzzled.

“You were very concerned about Irina and consent. I thought it would be best… if I decided to pursue things with you, to be careful. I didn’t want to cause any misunderstandings… That’s ah… well, there have been a few times-” he faltered, “I was trying to let you lead.”

Their voice pitched up, “I thought for sure you were going to try something at your place...”

“You brought up consentacles again! I didn’t want you to think-”

“Ohhhh my god. So what you’re telling me is that I’ve spent all this time successfully cockblocking myself.”

He tried to put this gently, “Well… we  _ have _ established that you can be as dense as Karasuma.”

They went through a range of emotions, settling on a mixture of amusement and irritation. Running their hands over their face, they groaned, “Oh my god, I should have said something sooner. I’m an idiot. I’m sorry this is so awkw-”

He should probably stop them before they were too far gone. Reaching out, he pressed a finger to their lips, "To answer your question...  _ Theoretically _ , yes. I should still be able to participate in ah…  _ intimate _ activities. Though I've not put that into practice with a partner as of yet."

"Ah…" 

Sweetness and persimmons...

"Is that what you wanted to do tonight?" He tried to keep his tone gentle, impartial. He didn't want them to feel forced. 

_ Oh, but if they said yes… _

_ Please say yes... _

They gave a small, quick nod, " _ Only _ if you want to though."

They...

Oh, they were so precious.

And they wanted to do this...

With him.

"Reader, I would  _ love _ to spend tonight with you."

Taking the teacups, he reached over, setting them on the table.

When he turned back Reader had developed the thousand-yard stare he'd come to associate with their panic. Perhaps they'd responded without thinking and were regretting their choice. Gently, he reached out with a tendril and pressed it to their pulse.

“Reader, are you sure you’re alright?”

They nodded, their fingers coming to rest against the tendril gently, “I’m just…” they took a breath, “I’m afraid I won’t...” they looked down for a moment before glancing back up at him, “...satisfy you?”

What? What on Earth??

"R-Reader, I love you, of course, you'll-"

They shook their head suddenly, cutting him off, “It’s not like that! I mean, I just... I don’t really look like the magazines you read...”

Ohhhh...

Oh, as if a magazine could ever compare to their loveliness.

He couldn't let them think that was the case.

“Reader, while magazines may be titillating and pleasing to the eye, to have a person before you is an  _ array _ of sensual delights.” he reached out, gently stroking their cheek, “The softness of skin, the warmth of the body,” he coaxed them forward with a tentacle around their waist, “their scent...”

Sweetness, fall spice, persimmons...

He loved their scent.

It had come to feel like home.

He leaned down, placing a tender kiss to their lips, "Their taste..."

He looked them in the eyes. 

“Images cannot  _ begin _ to compare to the pleasure and  _ honor _ of exploring another person.”

Their face was bright with blush and they looked...

Well, a bit like they might cry.

He ran a hand through their hair and pulled them close to his chest. They were so wonderful. He hoped there would come a day that they would never forget that about themself.

They hugged him tightly for a long moment and then looked up at him. He took a moment to admire them. 

“Ah...where should we…?” their voice had an anxious edge to it.

“Perhaps, that would be best sorted as we go?” he asked gently, one of his hands entwining with theirs, “After all, a  _ touch _ of spontaneity can certainly add to the excitement.”

They smiled, “I think I can work with that…”

Good...

Gently, he lifted them to his lap. The scent of persimmons tempered with the frantic acidic tang of nervous energy.

He took a moment, looking at them. God how he loved them. Their shape, their scent, their laugh, the way they teased and played with him, the gentle way they touched him.

He wished they could see themself as he saw them.

He’d had worries that perhaps they wouldn't want him. Worried that it would be too odd, too strange.

It hadn't occurred to him that they might feel that way about themself.

“You know, Reader,  _ honestly _ , I should be more concerned that you would not be satisfied with my appearance. I am, after all, not what you might be used to.”

Hands grabbed his face and pulled it down to theirs. Their lips met and he made a sound of surprise.

Well...

How  _ forward _ of you, Reader...

They parted from him and sat back, one hand still pressed to his cheek, “I’ve never really been satisfied by what I’m used to.”

Oh...

Ohhhhh...

That...

It was quite a relief to hear.

"Well, I’m certainly glad of that.”

His face was pulled back down to theirs. Slow, tender kisses brushed his lips. He slipped tendrils around them, their waist, their thighs, trailing along their arms and back. Feeling them like this...feeling the slight gasps and tremors as he touched them...

It was absolutely enchanting.

They brought an arm up around his shoulders and the hand cupping his cheek made its way down to his neckline. He couldn't help the gasp that escaped him. Gently, they loosened his tie and...

They were pressing kisses to his neck. It was sensitive, vulnerable, and it made parts of him ache in ways he'd almost forgotten. He tried to laugh but it turned into a whine as Reader found a particularly sensitive spot.

He played with the bottom of their shirt. He wanted to see them...

“May I?” 

“ _ Please _ .” the response came out as a needy moan.

Oh, he wanted to hear more of that.

Though it was cute that they were already begging so early...

He could feel the heat of their blush as they buried their face in his neck.

He chuckled and glided a tentacle along their spine, enjoying the feeling of their skin against his. They gave a delightful shudder in response.

He had to tease them, just a bit...

“So...your previous experiences weren’t satisfying...you said...” he pulled their legs closer to him in a gentle tug, “I certainly hope that I can do something about that.”

They squirmed, “I think you can.”

With a chuckle, he leaned in and began to kiss them. Long, lingering kisses each a soft tribute of love.

Oh, he hoped this would be a night they would never forget...

He trailed the tentacle back down their spine, enjoying the shiver it drew from them.

A hand cupped his cheek and the other made its way down to his shirt collar, undoing buttons there. 

Ohhhh...

How he wanted their touch...

They looked up at him, their face showing a tinge of worry, "Is this-"

He chuckled, "It's more than alright, Reader."

He leaned in, kissing them again. Their hand met his chest and trailed across bare skin to his shoulder. Sounds escaped him, their touch was so warm, so gentle...

Their lips left his and they made their way back down to his neck and chest, pressing kisses there. He trembled. How long had it been...

Three years? Four? 

But it had  _ never _ felt like this...

He pulled them closer, tipping their face up. They looked at him in quiet surprise.

"Reader, may I see you?”

They slowly gave a nod 

Gently, he removed their top, watching as all of the lovely unseen flesh was revealed. They were lovelier than he'd imagined.

They sat back a bit and gave him an almost challenging look, “What about you?”

Him?

“Nue? Me?”

“Well, I mean… is it really fair if I don’t get to see you too?” they gave a sly smile, “I have to admit I’m curious and I also doubt you’d want to continue this while wearing your school clothes...” 

Oh. Oh! He was still in his school wear oh dear.

"Of course!"

They slid off his lap onto the couch and held up a hand to him, “But I want to see you take them off, don't just dash out of them.”

They...

Oh...

He hadn't thought about this aspect. In all his fantasies he'd been quite neglectful of his state of dress. His only focus being on their movements, their sounds, the feel of them...

He rose to his feet and made his way across the room, “Right. After all, that would only be fair.”

He could feel their eyes on him as he began to undress. This...

This was  _ terrifying _ .

After removing his cap he paused, looking at his tie. His fingers played across the hole in it.

What on Earth had he ever done to deserve this? To deserve either of them?

“It’s alright if you want to stop...” they sounded guilty, ashamed.

He smiled, “I don’t want to, Reader.” he looked back at his tie for a long moment, “I was simply thinking of how blessed I’ve been to love two outstanding people in my life."

The scent of fondness from them was overwhelming.

He removed the tie, placing it in his cap. 

Now...

Continuing...

He shrugged out of the graduation hood and a note of anxiety welled within him.

He was exposing himself. Making himself  _ vulnerable _ . He removed his gown.

Everything in his instincts said run. Prepare. Be ready. Danger.

He paused, taking a deep breath.

Fall spice, sweetness, persimmons...

Home...

Carefully, he removed the gown beneath and his shirt, folding them neatly on the table.

He turned to face them. His skin had gone quite pink, betraying him, as usual...

They stared. He noticed their eyes lingered for a moment at where one might expect genitalia.

He hoped they wouldn't be disappointed with what he had to offer...

They kept staring and he chuckled, “Do you like what you see, Reader?”

They gave a strangled squeak of alarm, hands up, "It's just that I've been curious because you know you're different and-"

He smirked and gestured to them, “I believe you are a bit behind.”

They paused then looked down at their pants and back up.

Oh, they were  _ adorable _ thrown off guard like this.

“Perhaps you need some  _ assistance? _ ” he teased.

“I got it!” 

He watched as they wriggled out of their remaining clothes. Oh...

They looked splendid...

Their thousand-yard stare was back. He reached out, taking their hand, “You’re certain you want to do this?”

They squeezed his hand, a look of peace finally settling across their features. They smiled up at him,  _ “Absolutely _ .”

They guided him to the couch, he took the opportunity to lay a blanket over it.

They pushed him carefully back into a sitting position and came to straddle his lap again. Oh the feeling of skin on skin was absolute heaven. They...

They were sharing this with him...

He touched their cheek gently.

“You are amazing,” they whispered

They cupped his hand and pressed a kiss to it. Gently, he began to lace his tentacles around them again. Feeling slight tremors from them as he did so. He was glad they were enjoying this as much as he was.

"As are you, Reader." He leaned in, kissing them. Carefully, he took one hand, trailing it along their torso, mapping their shape. He teased lightly at one of their nipples and could feel their heart race in every limb he was wrapped around.

They returned the kiss, one hand pressing to his chest. He felt fire in his belly at their touch. He...

Oh, he  _ wanted _ them...

They looked up at him, uncertain, "How... How do I...?"

They...

He hadn't expected them to ask so soon, he thought he'd be acting first...

Now his nerves consumed him. What he was about to share with them was  _ more _ than intimate. He'd never shared it with anyone like this.

And it was certainly a vulnerable state to be in...

He forced himself to calm, looking them in the eye, “Shall I show you?”

They nodded. They were brimming with anticipation.

He... He hoped he didn't disappoint.

Carefully, he moved them back, just a bit, parting his legs below them. From the tender, almost aching area below he manifested a few tentacles. Reader looked down and their eyes widened as he brought the appendages up before them.

Their expression was hard to read and their scent was overpowered by persimmons. The note of their arousal.

Gingerly, he offered a tentacle to them, keeping it half curled, ready to retreat. This was so new... So frightening… so-

They took their hand from his chest and trailed their fingers along the proffered tentacle.

He shook.  _ Ohhhh... That... _

It wasn't just being touched. It was being touched by  _ them _ . He felt his grip on them tighten and he tried to keep his breathing steady. His face was burning.

Their eyes widened and an expression of mixed awe and curiosity crossed their face. This time they ran their hand along it, gliding down a portion of its length with a not quite closed fist. Without meaning to, the tentacle wrapped around their hand, squeezing. He hunched forward, trying to maintain composure.

They looked up at him...

And they smiled.

“Is this alright?”

They were smiling, their hand hadn't left him, their expression was one of unbridled affection.

“Y-yes...” 

They were gentle, turning the tentacle wrapped around their hand this way and that for a moment. They seemed genuinely entranced.

Which made his heart ache in the best of ways...

They trailed a fingertip along the sensitive flesh.

He could  _ die _ .

It had  _ never _ felt like this before. It had never  _ been _ like this before...

"It's beautiful…" their voice held a hushed awe.

They... They thought...

They...

He was losing all capability of rational thought with them like this.

"They're lovely..." They trailed their fingers along it again and he shuddered. 

That was just their  _ fingers _ .

Oh god, how would the  _ rest _ of them feel?

And were they going to react like this to everything? He reached up, covering his face with one hand.

He was overwhelmed, embarrassed, exposed...

They sat up a bit higher and gently pulled his hand from his face, kissing him.

Ohhhh...they...

How were they so good to him?

He nuzzled his face against theirs and they kissed him again, at the same time running their fingers along the tentacle they held.

_ Ohhhh... _

It was one thing to see them holding it, to see their reaction, it was another thing entirely to have them kissing him  _ and _ touching him like this. He couldn't stop the moan that they drew from him.

They smiled against his lips, chuckling as they parted. Their voice was soft, "That was cute…"

Cute...

Beautiful, lovely, cute...

He was dying. Paired with their hands on him it was  _ so much _ ...

"Hmmm…" they ran their hand along the tentacle again, "It seems like I'm not the only one who has trouble with compliments…"

"Reader!" He laughed at first but the second their hand slid along him he shuddered, gasping.

How could their hands feel so  _ good? _

"Yes?"

He shivered at their question and just nuzzled into their cheek. He was breathless, unable to speak past the churning emotions and the feelings they were giving him.

They kissed him again, their hands toying with him. He whined, need outweighing any sense of composure he had left.

Their hands were like magic. Teasing, touching, gliding along his skin and making everything tense pleasantly.  _ How _ could they feel so good?

Had it  _ always _ been this good and he just never  _ knew? _

He couldn't hold back from making sounds. Each motion was a glorious feeling and his body wasn't sure how to react to all of this new stimuli.

"You are making wonderful noises…" their voice was hushed and held an undercurrent of desire that he hadn't heard from them before.

He...

He should be returning the favor.

He gave a slight chuckle, trailing a hand down their body and gliding it across their sex.

They gasped, eyes going wide.

"And what a lovely noise you're making too~”

They smirked and pulled the tentacle in their hands close to their chest, kissing the tip.

OH, THAT  _ VISUAL _ .

He yelped in surprise and his heart raced. The kiss had been quick, light, but the thought of what their mouth might feel like made him shake.

They giggled at his expression and he laughed with relief. They were enjoying this. He kept up his gentle probing and stroking of them. They gasped and laid their head against his chest.

They still kept hold of the tentacle in their hands, teasing it, toying with it, oh they felt amazing...

He could feel the fluid beginning to collect on his skin.

One benefit of these appendages, lubrication was  _ certainly _ no issue...

Perhaps he could...

One of the other sensitive appendages slid up the dip in their back.

Ohhhhhhh...

Even their skin felt lovely.

They looked back at the tentacle and one of their hands slid along it.

He trembled. Oh did they even know how wonderful that felt? 

Maybe they wouldn't mind...

Tentatively, he removed his hand from them, instead bringing up a third tentacle to tease at their sex gently. They glanced down and for a moment he worried it might be too much.

Then they moved, rocking their hips and grinding against the tender flesh he was stroking them with.

A moan escaped him, they wanted this...

They wanted  _ him _ ...

Looking down he saw them raise the tentacle in their hands to their lips again. They began placing tender kisses along the length.

The sound he made was broken and stuttering. His body shook.

What a visual. What a feeling...

He wanted more...

_ Anything _ they were willing to give...

Suddenly, they sped up, their hips bucking and grinding against one tentacle while their hands explored the length in front of them. Then, as if that weren't enough, they leaned in kissing along his throat.

He couldn't speak. All he could do was cry out softly at their touch. It felt so good. All of it did. 

_ How did they feel so good? _

It was so much and yet...

He brought another tentacle up below them.

He was craving something more and he hoped that they would...

That they would agree to it...

Gently, he brushed the new tentacle across their entrance. Oh, that feeling was  _ tantalizing _ ...

He managed to ask in a hushed whisper, "May I?"

" _ Please… _ ." Their voice was full of desire, ache, need. A longing he was  _ more _ than willing to satisfy.

He pressed in. They were all warmth and tightness. Their face was buried in his chest and he could feel their moan. Hot breath on his skin.

Their hands tensed around the tentacle they held and he shuddered.

It was  _ so much _ ...

Tentatively, he began to move. Careful, even thrusts. He didn't know their limits yet after all…

He explored with the tentacle, feeling the inner reaches of their depths. As he pressed against one spot their hands clutched at the tentacle they held and a moan dragged from their lips.

Oh, that was beautiful...

He chuckled at their sounds.

He kept up the pressure on that spot, slowly stroking, teasing, and pushing against it.

All the while they were still grinding down on him, their motions causing him to thrust to stay in place. He kept his pace even, slow, not too much, not all at once...

He wanted this moment to linger for as long as possible.

They looked up at him and kissed along his cheek, their hands still toying with the tentacle, "Korosensei..."

Oh, the way they said his name made him shiver. Without meaning to he pressed a bit harder against the spot that had them gasping causing them to stutter as they spoke, “You know you- Y-you don’t have to go slowly if you don't want to… I'm not going to break..."

Oh, that was a  _ whole new kind  _ of temptation. Something he  _ absolutely _ wanted to explore...

But not this very moment.

Right now he wanted to focus on how wonderful this felt. This closeness, this warmth, this pleasure.

He drew their face up to his, kissing them gently, “You misunderstand, Reader.” it was hard to speak, he was breathless with want, “This is  _ heavenly _ and I simply want this to  _ last… _ ”

That response seemed unexpected. Their cheeks flushed brighter and they buried their face in his chest again, their hips rolling. They felt so lovely. They looked so lovely. Their hands slid along the tentacle still in their grasp and he gasped holding them closer, "Reader...  _ My darling, Reader.” _

They moaned, their body shaking and he felt himself gripped by both their hands and more intimate areas. Oh, what heaven...

He kept moving, gentler, slower, feeling their body shiver and hearing their soft cries as he did so. Their muscles tensed and released, their hips rolled, trying to both chase and escape the sensation. When they'd finally had enough, they relaxed against him. Reluctantly, he withdrew from them. Best not to overstimulate...

They were panting, their head against his chest. He could feel the echo of their heartbeat. Gently, he brushed their hair back.

What an honor this was. What a wonderful gift...

They looked up at him, a smile playing across their lips.

Then their hands moved.

He trembled as the warmth of their hands caressed the length of tentacle they were still holding. 

What-

He had thought they would need a moment...

“R-reader, you can rest fir-”

Their hands moved again and he cried out in surprise.

When they spoke their voice was amused., “You wanted this to _ last, _ you said.”

Oh, that...

He was filled with a surge of want at their words.

They reached one hand back, taking hold of the tentacle he had pressed to their spine. What were they...

They guided that tentacle towards their front and to their lips.

They...

Were they...

A warm, wet tongue brushed against his skin and he practically melted. That... 

They sucked the tip into their mouth and he moaned, hands clutching at their thighs. Their hands ran along the other tentacle before them and he trembled.

Their eyes were warm, amused at his as reactions. Their mouth hot, soft suction and gentle strokes of their tongue. 

"That...  _ Reader _ oh...  _ There _ ..."

He wasn't eloquent but he had to let them know how good it was...

“Oh, yes, that-oh that’s astounding. You are f-fantastic, marvelous, perf-fect...”

Eventually, he lost the ability to do much but make sounds, the feeling they were giving him was too much for rational thought.

For now, his world was focused on one thing and one thing only: The heat of Reader's mouth and the way it engulfed him so readily.

They would draw back, nearly leaving him before sucking him back in. Insistent, wet, warm... He wasn't sure how long he could last like this...

He couldn't pull his gaze from them. Their eyes were warm, loving, perhaps still a bit amused.

He'd worried they might not care for this but...

At least right now? They seemed to  _ delight _ in it.

They drew more of him in. What a stunning visual... What an overpowering feeling...

He ran a tentacle against their sex, teasing at their entrance. They felt so-

They moaned.

The vibration, the sound, the way they looked at him… it was too much.

He tightened his grip on them, unable to help it, and cried out, shaking as he came. His body was trembling but they didn't stop, humming and running their fingers along tender flesh. They were gentle, slower, easing him down from that glorious peak.

He relaxed his grip, trying to catch his breath. They released him and reached up, wrapping their arms around his neck and nuzzling into it.

He placed an arm around them, sliding down a bit on the couch. 

They were laying against him, all bare flesh and heat. Their scent was overwhelming. He ran a hand across their back gently.

How were they so  _ good _ at that?

That had been  _ fantastic _ .

“That...was amazing,” they said softly.

"It was. You are.”

And they were 

"I didn't know you would…" they laughed breathlessly, "I didn't know you would change colors like that…"

OH.

He rarely looked at himself while he tended to his own needs, he'd forgotten how odd that might seem to them, "It… it seems to be a side effect yes."

"So you knew." A smirk was spreading across their face.

Oh dear...

"Which means you've totally used those in a solo 'intimate activity' before." They grinned.

"W-well...Yes I mean I still...I have…" he stammered, " I do still have a libido and this job can be rather stressful sometimes!"

They laughed gently and laid their head back on his chest, "I'd love to see that sometime…If you'd let me.."

Oh...

_ They wanted to see him... _

"Gladly…"

There was a pause, "...were you thinking about me?"

OKAY. WELL, THEY WERE CERTAINLY OPENING UP THEN-

They grinned while he sputtered trying to come up with a response, "You  _ were _ weren't you?"

"Yes…" he couldn't just let them get by with that! "But you've done it too!"

"How do you know that?!"

Ohhhh well that had backfired...

"I can smell things… remember? Your little foray into the shower after that massage certainly didn't cover up the scent…"

They buried their face in his chest with a small shriek. He laughed and placed a kiss on their forehead, "That night was quite a trial."

"God I'm such an idiot."

"To be fair, we both were." He chuckled.

They laid against him still, breathing slowly.

They sighed, “I’m exhausted… and I think I need another shower.”

“Allow me.”

He spirited them away to the bathroom and then zipped back to their room for clothing and a towel. Once all was prepared he made his way back to the living room.

A quick and careful wash of the blanket. He hung it out to dry on the balcony. He quickly dressed and made his way home for a moment to pick up his futon. He needed to see about a spare for their place...

When he returned he moved to lay the bedding out and paused, considering something.

That had been lovely…

But…

Well he felt a bit ashamed to think it but he would love to have a bit more before the night was through. It was just… so much more than it had ever been…

Well… they might not be interested in further activities but perhaps he could prepare in case?

He slid back out of his clothes and took his bedding into their room, laying it out and preparing it. He wanted it to look comfortable, intimate… but with two oddly sized futons and blankets it looked a bit more like a mess. As he fussed with it he turned and spotted Reader standing in the doorway, watching him with a barely contained smile.

They crossed the room to him and hugged him tightly. How darling… he pulled them close and murmured, "Ready for bed?"

They nodded against his chest. He chuckled and climbed under the blankets. They joined him and when he reached out to them they snuggled up close to his side. He wrapped an arm around them, playing with their hair lightly. 

“You are perfect.” 

How they could remotely think that of him was beyond him. He chuckled, shaking his head, “Far from it, I'm afraid. But I do appreciate the sentiment.”

They took one of his hands in theirs, kissing it lightly. Another hand glided across his chest, bringing up another surge of want in its wake. He shivered, nuzzling them.

Reaching out, he shut off the light.

The dark only served to make things feel even more intimate than before..

“Thank you, Reader. That experience was wonderful

Yawning, they snuggled against him, “You're telling me.” 

Ah… they were quite exhausted. There was a good chance they wouldn't be interested in more activity tonight then…

But he was quite happy to simply be with them this way.

"I'm delighted that you shared tonight with me.”

"How could I pass up this chance?"

Oh he couldn't  _ not _ prod at them a bit He gave a smirk, "A chance at my…." He wiggled a tendril at them, "consentacles?"

They groaned, “Is that how I'm going to be remembered?”

He laughed, “Of course! I am glad though, that you're the one I was able to use them with first."

They shook your head but smiled, “I'm glad too.”

There was a long moment of quiet. Then snuggling against him. He could see their Detective Face appearing...

"So….ah...those tentacles…you've always had those?"

"I take it you mean the...erm…." Well… he hadn't really thought of what to call them. Given the amount of things on his plate in the last few months an appropriate name for his genitalia wasn't at the top of the list...

"The sensitive ones." They supplied.

"Yes, those. Well...as you know by now, Reader, I can change many things about my body at will. They're not constantly present per se." 

There was a smooth, tender area at the base of his torso, in the space beneath his legs. Though he could easily manifest them elsewhere if he so chose that location seemed the safest and had become his most common choice. 

"...So you choose to make them? Like.."

"When they're..um required, yes."

"Which means you can also change them if you like…"

Ohhh…

Oh ho ho ho…

_ Well then... _

He chuckled, "Ah, I  _ see _ , Reader. Perhaps you're curious about what sort of shapes or sizes I could-"

They yelped and laughed, "Korosensei!"

"Rest assured if you would like I can happily apply any number of changes to them."

He held up a tendril in a significantly less family friendly shape and they laughed, covering their face, "Oh my god!"

_ Adorable. _

He nuzzled them, his tendril reverting to its usual shape, "I'm simply happy you enjoyed them."

"I… well I'm afraid I'm not as changeable as you but.." they faltered for a moment, "You can always tell me anything that I could… well… that I could do to make it better… for you I mean…"

How could anything be better than just… being with them like this?

He pulled them close, kissing their forehead, "Oh I'm certain that together we can think of all kinds of things.~"

They nuzzled against his neck. Oh that felt lovely…

"I've wanted that for so long…" their breath was warm against his throat. Their voice filled with the quiet memory of longing.

They…

They had?

"Oh?~" he chuckled, "Is that so?"

They nodded sheepishly.

Perhaps they weren't too tired after all…

He gently trailed a tendril up their back. They shivered at the touch.

He hoped they took this well...

"Perhaps, then, we went about this a _ bit _ too quickly."

They looked up at him in confusion for a moment. He leaned in and kissed then, rolling them onto their back beneath him.

They were absolutely stunning like this…

Their eyes roamed over him.

Persimmons and sweetness…

He leaned down and whispered softly into their ear, "Reader… Would you like this night to last a little longer?"

Oh he  _ hoped _ this wasn't too far...

Their reply was immediate and filled with desire,  _ "God _ ,  _ yes _ ."

That was all that he needed to hear.

Undressing them took no time. Lingering would be nice, of course, but right now he simply wanted to feel their skin against his…

They laughed at the sudden move and reached up, pulling him down for a kiss.

"You're spoiling me."

He laughed, "Not at all. I admit…" he trailed a hand down their front, watching them squirm at the touch,, "I was hoping we might carry this out a little further...but I didn't want to exhaust you."

He felt a bit embarrassed at the admission. He knew in his newer form his tendencies drifted to perversion and he didn't want to seem-

"We do have a lot of lost time to make up for…" they whispered, a warm smile crossing their lips.

Oh, they were  _ perfect _ ...

He grazed their hip with his hand and they shuddered at the touch.

"What about you? Have you thought about it?" They asked softly.

Oh...

Well,  _ of course _ he had…

How could he  _ not? _

"Yes… but I wasn't certain how you'd react."

When they spoke next it was in a breathless rush, "I've been thinking about it for months now…"

"Months…"

Months…

How long had they wanted him?

Ohhh that…

They had _ so much _ time to make up for.

He reached out to them with the pearlescent tentacles, teasing at their sex again, "Is that so?"

They whined, nodding, "I felt… sort of terrible about it."

Oh?

"Because of what I am?"

They shook their head, shivering as he pressed against their entrance. Teasing at then, letting them anticipate…

"At f-first… But it was mostly because… you're a friend… and everything that happened and-ah!"

He couldn't resist slipping into them. They were so embarrassed about their answers, and they had no reason to be. They arched their back, biting their lip and making soft sounds of desire.

Leaning close, he ran a hand through their hair, "Reader," they gave a soft gasp as he moved, "Reader, you never need to feel so poorly about your passion. Your passion is one of the many things I  _ admire _ about you."

He carefully looped tendrils around their legs, lifting them to get better access.

They were warm, wet, and deep. He twisted the tentacle inside them, loving the feeling of their shudders and twitches. With a measure of relief he realized that they certainly didn't seem to mind him holding them this way. 

Then their legs clamped around him.

Oh..they  _ definitely _ didn't seem to mind…

He chuckled softly, "Your passion in all things is beautiful but here it is  _ positively exquisite… _ " he kissed along their cheek. Arms encircled his neck, their body trembling.

They looked up at him, blushing. The heat from it had extended to their chest. The look they were giving him was one filled with tender shyness, "I love it when you talk like that… it…" they pressed a hand gently over his heart, "It always…"

How precious…

It seemed that he wasn't the only one to lose his words in the heat of the moment…

He chuckled, "Why Reader, I wonder whatever could have you so distracted…" he glided the tentacle nearly out of them, teasing, "Perhaps I should pause and give you a moment to think?"

"_No!_" He laughed at first but stopped short when he saw the look of desperate longing on their face, "_Please_ _don't stop_...I love the way you feel." 

How on Earth was he so blessed?

He couldn't very well deny them after an admission like that.

He sped up, pulling them closer to his chest. Their hands grasped at him, the blankets as if looking for a way to anchor themself. They moaned his name and he knew that was a sound that was going to be in his head for weeks…

They had been curious about his tentacles…

Perhaps…

He adjusted the shape of the one inside them, making the tip larger. They gasped and looked up at him with surprise.

He held up another tendril mimicking the shape, "I thought you might enjoy a little variety…"

From the look of utter bliss on their face he felt it safe to assume that was a yes.

Changing the shape had made them tighter around him too, the pressure made him tremble. He leaned in and kissed them tenderly, continuing to thrust into them.

They whined against his mouth and he shuddered. Oh what a  _ sound _ that was…

Their arms looped around his neck, pulling him close, "I love you."

Their voice was trembling, needy, but with a note of adoration that struck him right in the heart.

"I love you too…"

He could feel their body tensing under him, their breathing erratic. They were getting close…

"You could do this to me all night if you wanted…"

He let out a breathy moan, closing his eyes. What a  _ suggestion _ that was…

Oh how he wanted to try it.

"Reader…"

They leaned in close, lips brushing his cheek as they begged, " _ Please _ fuck me all night like this…"

OH.

The images that brought to mind, the rawness of the statement, the absolute utter  _ want _ he could hear in their voice…

Oh it was too much.

He buried his face in the pillows, trying to recover from his embarrassment.

They whined when he stopped moving but then he heard a gentle, 

"H-hey are you okay?"

He nodded into the pillow.

"What’s… wrong?"

"Nothing I'm just…" oh how did he begin to explain this?

_ You saying that is more than I can handle even though I've had my tentacles in multiple orifices of yours tonight? _

It was  _ ridiculous _ .

They clenched their legs around him, voice needy, "Korosensei….  _ Please… _ "

" _ Reader! _ "

Were they  _ trying _ to kill him?!

"What?" They laughed a bit, "do you like it when I beg? Or maybe you like it when I say  _ I want you to fuck me all night _ ."

"Reader!"

They were  _ absolutely _ trying to kill him.

He imagined other things they might beg of him in that tone. Where had that even  _ come _ from?

They laughed gently and he found his face pulled to theirs, a gentle kiss pressed to his lips.

Their voice was gentler this time, more tender, "Please? I really do want to feel you…"

He slowly started up his motions again, not quite making eye contact. How humiliating. What sort of man was he that he got that embarrassed by-

They leaned in and turned his face to theirs, kissing him, "You're lovely…"

O-oh…

"As are you…"

He pressed in deeper, locating that spot that seemed to get the most reaction out of them. He was rewarded by them biting their lip, stifling a moan.

He chuckled, "Now, now, Reader you wouldn't want your neighbors to hear would you?"

They laughed, kissing him, "I'd rather not but I don't know if I can keep quiet with you moving like th-that…"

Ohhh…

He thought of them a moment before begging him to fuck them all night.

Would they really want that or was that an in the moment sort of statement?

Either way…

He pulled them close, whispering, "Then I guess they'll simply have to hear."

They shuddered and suddenly their lips were on his. The kisses were quick, deep, desperate, begging without speaking. What they wanted, he was more than willing to provide. 

He adjusted the tentacle inside them and with one thrust they tensed and moaned, burying their face in his chest, "Korosensei, please…. Please…  _ don't stop." _

Oh.. how he'd imagined that tone wrapped around his name. How he'd pictured them breathlessly begging below him. He sped up, they tightened and he cried out, his body seizing. His forehead pressed to theirs, panting as he twisted and writhed inside them. They moved their hips, the motion only prolonging the feeling.

They looked up at him.

_ God _ he wanted more…

"Keep going" their voice was insistent, firm.

His faltered for a moment, "Aren't you tir-"

They grinned at him, catching their breath before pulling him down to kiss his cheek. What they said next made his body ache with need, "You think I care? I want to see that  _ again _ .

Ohhhh that was…

He started back up again, his tentacle inside them still twitching and sensitive from the last round. Oh that felt even better than before somehow. They squirmed, bucking and gasping under him.

Beautiful…

Then, suddenly, they locked their legs around him, clinging to him and shaking, crying out into his chest.

They gripped him so tightly… oh that felt amazing…

He slowed down a bit, after that they would  _ surely _ need a momen-

They looked up at him, panting, "H-hey… I said I wanted to see that again… d-don't stop."

He stared at them.

Ohhh they already had more stamina than he had expected and that made his mind race.

"Reader are you  _ sure? _ "

On one hand he was a bit concerned, they seemed exhausted…

But on the other hand they did seem more than eager…

"Absolutely." They kissed him slowly.

There was no way to resist that…

He whined, finally giving in and thrusting into them again in earnest.

Every now and then they would make a small sound of discomfort, he quickly adjusted until they were back to moaning and gasping again. He wanted them to remember this night as one of their best…

Gently, he tested their limits, expanding the size of the tentacle inside them just a touch more…

_ Oh, that was tight… _

Their body twitched, a weak response compared to before but between that and the hot breath against his neck as they moaned?

He couldn't hold back…

He was crying out, shuddering. They moaned his name, clinging to him tightly.

He writhed inside of them. It was overwhelming having them like this. Locked around him, shaking trembling, he moved in gentler, shallow strokes and watched in complete awe as they came once more. They were moaning, shaking, unable to quite control their movements at first.

He was a touch worried until they looked up at him with eyes tired and filled with love. He gasped and kissed their cheek, "Stunning…"

They relaxed nuzzling him for a moment. He had a feeling they were down for the count, so to speak.

They looked up at him, exhausted and happy, "Look who's talking."

Reluctantly, he withdrew his tentacle from them and laid down, pulling them close.

They snuggled into his chest and looked up at him, "...you know what's awful?"

Oh dear…

He certainly hoped he hadn't hurt them...

"Hm?"

"I think I really  _ could _ go all night with you…"

From their tone, their look, their scent…

They absolutely meant that.

Ohhhh what an unbelievably tantalizing offer…

He spoke before he could think, his voice dipping into something a little darker in tone, " _ Don't tempt me… _ "

Was that too aggressi-

They shivered, nuzzling him, "Maybe we could try sometime?"

Oh god, he  _ hoped _ they were serious…

"Are you sure that you would be alright with that?"

They nodded, "So long as we can stop if I'm too worn out."

He nuzzled them gently, "If you would be willing to try, then I would as well."

He held them close. One of their hands came up to stroke his cheek.

This was _ bliss _ .

Then they spoke.

"So, I can't handle compliments and  _ you _ can't handle dirty talk."

Correction, this was  _ hell _ .

"I can handle it just fine!"

"Yeah?" They grinned, their voice lowering seductively, "So, I guess you'd be fine with me begging you to fuck me til I can't walk tomorrow?"

He buried his face into the pillow.

How could someone this charming say things  _ like that? _ They were laughing, "See?! You  _ do _ get embarrassed. I'm surprised given the magazines you like…"

"Coming from you it's different!!!" He protested, "And the tone is completely different when you say it like that!"

"So… if I say something like…" they whispered seductively, " _ Let me taste you... _ that's one thing but if I say something more like…" they leaned in, voice lowering, " _ I'm going to suck you dry..." _

OH, GOD?!

He gave a small embarrassed shriek

They cackled, burying their face in his chest, "That's  _ adorable! _ Oh my GOD!"

This was too much…

"Reader…" he pouted. 

They chuckled and kissed his cheek, "Do you hate it or is it just embarrassing?"

Oh… well, he hadn't thought they might think he hated it…

It was just overwhelming.

It made him want to do  _ so _ many things to them...

"It's embarrassing…"

"But you like it…"

He gave a small nod. They laughed a little, "I'll go easy on you then… but I do love your reaction to it."

They… they liked his reaction?

He wondered what they would think of the images it put in his head…

There was a soft quiet for a few moments before they spoke again.

"I love you." 

He looked down at them, "I love you too."

"Hey…" they stumbled over their words, "I really enjoyed this…"

He chuckled, "I think it was a _ bit _ more than enjoyed."

Bright red. They buried their face again, "Okayyeahlookitwasthebestsexofmylife."

The best?

HE WAS THE BEST?!

"What would you ever have done if I hadn't been capable?" He joked.

They looked at him in surprise, "Loved you anyway?"

They…

Even if this hadn’t been possible they would have still wanted him?

They continued, "I… I'd thought about it a lot… and… well… I mean, I love  _ you _ . This is just one part of that. And if I couldn't have this part it wouldn't be a deal-breaker or something…" they were looking increasingly awkward, "Because while this is amazing? This isn't how I fell in love with you." They put a hand on his chest, " _ This is…" _

He looked at their hand resting against his chest.

What had he  _ ever  _ done to deserve them? What had he  _ eve _ r done to deserve Aguri?

He pulled them close and kissed them softly, "You are  _ wonderful _ ." 

"It is lovely though… that we can…" they said sheepishly, "If I wasn't so exhausted I'd…ask to keep going."

They…

Oh, they couldn't  _ tease _ him like that...

He looked at them, "Really now?"

"Well… look I did say it was the best sex of my life…"

He hoped he could take them up on that offer...

He chuckled, nuzzling them, "I certainly feel the same. Maybe another night soon?"

They nodded, a grin spreading across their face, "We  _ do _ have a lot of lost time to make up for…"

He kissed them again, enjoying their softness, their warmth…

They were cradled in his arms. The room smelled like sweet fall spice, persimmons, and sex.

Their breathing fell into the quiet, steady rhythm of sleep and he found himself nodding off, watching them.

His last thought before falling asleep was of how much he loved them.


	27. Just Add Water NSFW

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korosensei's POV of [Chapter 91 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/52998679).

He was warm. The room smelled like fall spice and persimmons. He buried his face into soft, warm flesh and felt a soothing hand rub across his bare back.

He’d forgotten how lovely dreams were.

It felt amazing…

He didn't want to get up yet.

He wanted to hold onto this feeling for a while longer.

It was too precious to waste…

The next time he woke up, he realized exactly where he was.

He wasn’t dreaming.

He was suddenly incredibly aware of every part of himself.

He was naked and entangled in one very, very lovely co-worker.

On one hand, this was incredible. He loved the closeness, the sweetness, the warmth of them…

On the other hand…

LASTNIGHTHADHAPPENED.

Quickly and carefully he extricated himself from them, being careful not to wake them.

_ Last night had happened. _

He paused for a moment, looking at them.

Last night had been _ fantastic… _

His tension eased by a small fraction.

Last night had been _ perfect _.

He wanted to ensure this morning was as well.

After a quick wash-up he darted into his robes and set about preparing breakfast. Perhaps he could bring it to them in bed. That would be suitably romantic. Then he could talk to them… maybe do a little _ more _ than talk to them…

He shook his head. As lovely as they were and as much as he wanted them he needed to be careful. He didn’t want to overwhelm them. This was still new and coming on too strong was still very possible.

He turned his attention to the pancakes

Oh, but what a night it had been…

How warm they were… how soft their lips had been… how their mouth had-

He heard the door to their room slide open and he jumped, dropping the spatula in his hand with a clang on the floor.

Wh-

What had he ju-

He quickly recovered it and set to work cleaning it in a panic. They peeked around the kitchen entrance at him, giving a wave. Their hair was a mess, they were wrapped in their pajamas from last night that had been… hastily discarded, and they were carrying a bundle of clothes. The scent of persimmons was overwhelming.

They looked darling...

“Reader! Good morning! I thought you might enjoy some breakfast so I-”

They pointed behind him, “The pancakes are burning...”

They wer-

OH, THEY WERE!

He immediately tended to them, working on a new batch.

“I, uh, I’m just gonna shower...”

“Yes, do that. It should be ready when you’re out!” 

When he heard them go into the washroom he ran a hand over his face.

What the hell was he doing?

They’d known one another for _ months _ , they’d _ been together _ for a month, this should be a relief, not… whatever THIS was.

He took a breath.

Focus on making breakfast.

He could make it through breakfast…

When they joined him he was still wound tightly, nerves frayed. He couldn’t even put a tentacle on why he was nervous. Last night seemed to have gone perfectly…

“Thanks for making breakfast...” they gave him a smile.

Oh, that smile…

“Of course!”

He couldn’t meet their eyes. Scenes from last night’s events were still playing through his head.

This was embarrassing.

They sighed, "Hey… Uh… we should probably have a conversation…"

He looked at them in surprise. A small chill going through him.

Did they regret it?

They shifted a bit in their seat, blush coloring their cheeks, “I uh… well… I’ve got questions...”

Oh…

Less intimidating but still worrying. 

Questions, however, he could handle.

“Of course. Shall we eat first?”

“Yeah, might be a good idea...”

Breakfast was silent. He worked hard on focusing on his meal, afraid to look up from it. What sort of questions might they have?

Relationship questions? Anatomy questions? Assassination questions?

There were a lot of topics they might cover here…

When the meal was finished they made their way to the couch and he stalled, just a bit, by cleaning up.

When he joined them he found them perched on the cushions looking nervous but determined.

God, he hoped they didn’t regret i-

“Ohhhkay… First, last night was… it was _ great _.”

Oh!

_ OH! _

Obviously, they'd said as much last night but sometimes a person might feel differently in the light of day.

Especially if their partner was… questionable in nature.

He felt his face heat up.

They were looking a bit… unsure, “Uh… there’s just… Okay, I have questions and they’re pretty personal and kind of weird I guess and I don’t mean to sound rude but-”

Most likely anatomy questions…

Well… this had to be covered at _ some _ point…

“Understandable. By all means...” he gestured for them to continue.

“Okay...” they took a breath, steeling themself he was sure, "Well… okay… obviously, you're set up isn't… well…"

He couldn’t help but chuckle, set up was one way to put it…

"It's certainly not standard, yes."

"So um… you said you can change things." 

He nodded.

Well, well. This wasn’t where he thought these questions would be going so soon but he couldn’t say he disapproved.

"How many of those do you have?" 

"I manifest them as required. There isn't a set number."

Persimmons and fall spice. 

Well then…

_ Interesting… _

"So you could just make as many as you wanted…"

"In theory."

“Does that like… wear you out? Like it’s not using up too much energy or-”

What a darling.

They were always so concerned about him. So worried…

He chuckled and shook his head gently, “Your concern is touching but believe me, it’s fine. After all, I can go Mach 20, creating a few tentacles is a paltry amount of energy in comparison.”

That seemed to ease their mind a bit, “You uh…” they had an awkward expression, “Okay like… you had that whole thing with running out of mucus back when the pool situation was going on. Is that going to be a problem?”

Well, now Reader…

What did they think they were going to get up to to cause _ that _ much of an issue?

He laughed, “Oh, believe me, Reader-” he leaned in, narrowing his eyes, “You would be exhausted _ far _ before my reserves would be.”

Their face flushed and they let out an embarrassed yelp, covering their face.

How darling…

Knowing that he had this effect on them was flattering.

He chuckled and brushed a hand over their hair gently.

They took a breath, settling, “Okay… Is… there anything I should be worried about?” 

“Worried?” he echoed.

What did they mea-

Their hands settled in their lap, “Well you’re made of anti-matter, like is this going to be like that one weird-ass comic plotline where Spiderman gave Mary Jane cancer or something?”

WHAT?!

What on Earth??

“No, no! Reader, I assure you it’s perfectly safe. I’ve _ ensured _ that the qualities of my mucus and such aren’t harmful.”

Their expression was still worried, “And that doesn’t cause you problems?”

Always so concerned...

He shook his head, “No, Reader, I’m perfectly fine.”

They relaxed but only slightly.

“You...” they took a breath, “Okay this isn’t exactly about… _ this _ but like… you can do so much with your body...” they gestured, “I don’t really know where the line of _ unreasonable _ is.”

A valid point.

“Well,” he sat back, “As you know,” he held up a hand, splitting various small tendrils off from it, “I can manifest tentacles as needed. Ah… _ sensitive _ or not. I can merge or shape them without issue.” he showcased some of the various shapes he used, a drill, tweezers, a blade, a net… “I can liquify, as you’ve seen. The only thing that can harm me is anti-me materials. Or tentacles wielded by others. You don’t need to fret so much.”

_ Please don't worry so much... _

They frowned, “I just… I’ve only ever seen you dodge or get hurt. No one’s ever come at you with anything but those that I’ve seen. I mean I know Irina did but like… I didn’t see it...”

…

This was true.

While most people saw him as unkillable and spent their time trying to kill him, that experience was still relatively new for them. They hadn't seen him tackle the everyday assassins that tried to get the drop on him.

Perhaps a little demonstration was in order…

A kitchen knife would be suitable.

He located one quickly and held it up before them.

"Observe." He pushed the point against his arm.

It wasn't a painful sensation. It was hardly even an odd sensation anymore. Simply an awareness. Not like the burning pain of anti-Sensei materials.

“What are you-” they looked alarmed.

The knife tip had melted, red hot metal ran through a pathway in his arm, pooling in a cup formed in his hand, “My internal temperature can easily melt objects. Bullets liquify in me. If knives don’t melt then they glance off thanks to dilatancy. And of course, there’s my speed-” he molded the knife tip's shape in a tentacle, allowing the liquid metal to fill it. Settling the rest of the knife in place he merged the two, cooled it rapidly, gave it a quick sharpening and a Polish… 

And emblazoned his signature smile on it for good measure.

He held up his handiwork to them. He was sure it looked like magic, "Which allows me to do far more in the time it takes my attackers to blink than they could even dream of.”

He reached into the kitchen, putting the knife away.

“I can change colors of course.” he chuckled, “And camouflage myself. My mucus is… It’s an all-purpose material.”

“What does that even _ mean? _” they sounded simply overwhelmed.

He gestured, holding up a tentacle, “It works quite well as waterproofing and can protect me as needed in that respect. It can be used as a cleaner and an adhesive. And, as you know, it replaces my blood.”

They nodded slowly, “And it seemed to work pretty well last night...”

Oh

OH

He felt his temperature rise, face burning, “Ah, yes. It can be useful in that respect as well.”

They relaxed, just a bit, “I can’t say that I won’t worry but that does make me feel a little better.”

Thank goodness...

He chuckled, “There’s also my senses, of course.”

They smirked, “Ah, yes. The reason I smell like a Starbucks.”

Starbucks.

As if coffee and artificial flavoring could ever compare.

He chuckled, “I told you, it’s nothing like a Starbucks.”

Their eyes went wide suddenly, “WAIT, you said you knew I’d gotten off in the shower because of your sense of smell!”

Oh no.

OH NO.

W-well yes but-”

They were eyeing him, “How did you know- like...”

How did they _ think _ he knew? 

There were only so many ways one could make that discovery.

He shifted, “Well, I had noticed it but I confirmed it that night actually. When I gave you a massage the scent was quite… strong.”

Their eyes were wide, face flushed, they ran their hands across it, "I'm sorry are you- Are you saying you could smell when I was turned on? Like… you could tell other times?"

Oh, it sounded terrible like that. Like he was some pervert sniffing underwear in a locker room…

Though the thought of that scen-

No.

Focus!

"When you say it like_ that _ it sounds so much worse!" He tried to defend himself, "I just happened to notice it that was all. I didn't even realize it was because of me at first I wasn’t even sure that’s what it was…"

They buried their face in their hands with a sigh, "Alright. So… I might as well get this question out of the way. What does that ah... smell like?"

Oh…

He shifted, embarrassed. When he spoke it was softly, "Persimmons." 

They looked up at him in surprise.

“You're shitting me.”

He shook his head, “No, I'm not. Like I’ve said before, the scents that I pick up on are not what your average person might notice. There are subtleties to people’s scents, their pheromones. The closest I can equate yours to is that.”

It was fascinating how varied people's scents could be. How rich and layered they were. It was something he never thought about before changing. At least not outside of staying alert for the scents of poisons or gunpowder.

But this…

It was something new, lovely, and wholly divorced from the thought of death.

He couldn't bring himself to meet their gaze. It was an odd thing he supposed, but their scent was one of his favorites, “I find it lovely.”

They were clearly embarrassed.

“Okay uh… so in the shower, I noticed like… I smelled caramel? Like from uh...” they gestured awkwardly, “Last night?”

OH.

He hadn't realized that was strong enough for them to notice.

4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one.

Sotolon.

A byproduct of his body's mucus production.

It was a very low-level concentration…

Unless his production was in full swing…

Such as when he was… ah… _ excited _.

They were staring at him, “So that’s you...”

He gave a nod, hoping they wouldn't ask further.

They looked baffled then shook their head, “Okay… okay… that’s… a whole other mess of questions I don’t want to dig into right now. So,” they ran their hand across their face, “...is there a reason you… you’re uh...” they crooked a finger awkwardly, “Is there a reason they’re uh… shiny?”

O h...

“Ah, well… That would be indicative of the number of nerve endings present. They’re much closer to the surface there.”

“Oh!”

“It’s…"He hesitated for a moment. He had more to say but… Being vulnerable was terrifying, "actually something I’m capable of manifesting elsewhere.”

“What?” they stared at him, “Wait, you can just make those appear anywhere?”

Well… he might as well show them…

"Or…"

He held out a hand to them. He was all edges and anxiety, this was something else he never thought he'd share with someone else. It was sensitive in more ways than physical...

He manipulated the nerve endings, having them rise close to the surface. A pleasant feeling, if an odd one. 

Being aroused in parts of your body you weren't born to have those feelings in was still a bit of a mind fuck.

The shifting gleam appeared across his hand and he looked at them.

Their eyes were wide and filled with awe. Gently, they reached out and cupped his hand in theirs. The warmth of their skin made him shiver. One finger delicately brushed along his palm.

_ Ohhhhh… _

He pulled his hand back. Best not to get too distracted just yet. This conversation was important…

“For obvious reasons, I don’t tend to keep my exposed skin in that state.”

There was a touch of disappointment in their expression as his hand pulled away.

They nodded, “Yeah, that makes sense...”

There was a moment's pause. Finally, they sighed, “Alright… um… what do we do if people find out?”

A difficult question in its own right but easier than the others at the moment, “That particular scenario I’m still working out myself. It will largely depend on who and what they find out exactly.”

They nodded looking resolved, “Okay… we can sort that out together then.”

He nodded.

They shifted a bit, biting their lip, “There’s something else we should probably talk about...”

Oh, dear…

What else should they cover? What did one normally discuss in this situation?

Anatomy, social consequences, what-

"Uh... we should probably cover some likes and dislikes?" They were clearly flustered, the scent of fall, sweetness, and persimmons rolled off of them, "I mean if you want to, you know… I just thought it might be a good idea if we want to keep going. I know you were worried about misunderstandings. And I think we’ve proven that we're kinda useless talking about this so far."

He faltered. Every instinct as an assassin was screaming not to answer. These were things that could be used _ against _ him. Weaknesses, dangers…

"I'm… not certain of all of them…"

They raised an eyebrow, “Given all the things you read?”

Well, of course, that seemed…

He could see why that might be confusing.

“Reading is one thing, practice is quite another I think we can agree.”

They laughed a bit, nodding, “You’re telling me.”

Given their… _ interesting _ reading selection, of course, they were familiar.

Now… time to get down to brass tacks…

"I-" he took a breath to steady himself, "I would not do well with being restrained or held down…"

They nodded, "Yeah…"

He winced internally at the memory. He never wanted to hurt them. Never wanted to frighten them…

They had taken that night amazingly well and he was beyond grateful for it.

What else…

Oh.

“And while I do have a higher pain tolerance, it’s not my preference during intimate activities...”

They chuckled, “Yeah I don’t care for it either, not like… whips and stuff.”

While whips didn't strike his fancy the idea of them in leather was…

Okay, no! 

_ Focus _.

“But uh… well…" they were blushing brightly, shrugging a bit, "being tied down is nice...”

...they were absolutely eyeing his tentacles.

He shivered at the thought but his grin only widened. He chuckled, "I do remember that interesting little fact from the ferry.~"

“Mostly I just want to be able to stop if I need to…” they looked up at him, expression open.

Well, that was a perfectly reasonable request, “Of course.”

He relaxed a bit. This wasn't as terrible as he'd thought it might be.

"God… I don't know, it might be easier to list what we like?" They ran a hand through their hair, “I can at least think of those...”

Oh…

Oh, that was…

_ Intimidating _.

“Ah… well...” 

“I can go first, Cuddle Fish.” they laughed, smiling up at him.

Their eyes were warm, sparkling with laughter.

What might catch their interest...

"I… well… you know I like bondage. Just… not super hardcore stuff? Having my wrists tied or mylegstiedopenisnice." 

Ohhhh that gave him _ so _ many ideas…

"Shibari is really nice too…"

So, so many ideas…

"I uh… I like edging? Like… dragging it out? Making it take a while or uhgoingmultiplerounds." 

Their voice became unsteady and unsure, quieting as they went.

Ohhhhhh, dear.

That set his mind _ racing _.

He wondered what sort of stamina they had.

Last night had certainly indicated it was more than he'd thought.

No one would be able to keep up with _ him _ of course but the idea of someone willing to _ try _ made his breath catch.

"I would love to do that with you."

They looked up at him, "Which one?"

"_ Both _." He could feel the shiver in his voice.

God he wanted them...

They looked like they might scream.

"I… well I'm…" they gave him a flustered smile, "I really like your voice."

His… voice?

Suddenly he remembered last night, them under him, breathless and begging.

_ "I love it when you talk like that…" _

_ "I love the way you feel…" _

Oh, that… that _ also _ gave him _ ideas _…

He leaned in close and spoke gently, “Oh? Do you now?~”

He chuckled.

They shivered, burying their face in their hands with a small yelp.

Oh, that had worked _ far better _ than expected.

He laughed, pulling them gently over and kissing their forehead softly. They buried their face in his chest, be“Canyounotkillmebeforewegetanotherchancetotdothat?!”

How adorable…

Also that confirmation that they wanted to do more made him delighted.

"I'm…" they looked at him, "kind of a sub. I think that's pretty obvious.”

They certainly could have fooled him until now.

“I have a feeling you’re a bit of both.” he chuckled softly, “You’ve certainly been instigating things quite a bit.”

“Okayyeahmaybe.” they buried their face back in his chest, “I like… I dunno… gentle dominance?”

Oh ho ho ho…

_ Interesting... _

"Could you give me an_ example? _"

They were bright red.

"Wellwhenyoupickedmeupatyourplacethatwasagoodstart."

He stared at them, "Is that so?"

"And I'm… when you had me against the door… I just… I know if I said something you'd stop so it's comfortable…"

Ohhhh there was _ so much _ here he could work with...

"Um… I'm not really sure what else…" they looked _ incredibly _ embarrassed.

_ Adorable _.

He took a breath, "I'm sure you might have noticed that there are a few things that catch my interest." He began.

"Boobs." The answer was so blunt that he had to laugh.

"Yes, I admit, those are always lovely."

Their detective face was back. They seemed to be thinking it over, "From what Okajima said you enjoy office-based porn mags."

"What?!"

Oh, he was going to _ kill _ that boy, contract or no.

"Yeah." They grinned.

"Well, yes but that ah…" he faltered a bit, "that's in magazines, this is different."

"Yeah?" There was an undercurrent to their voice that made him shiver at its implications.

"Yes. Not that I haven't had my thoughts about it but I think we can both agree that work would not be an ideal place for romantic encounters."

They laughed, "Well, yeah, I'm just trying to figure out what you_ like _. I'm not saying we should go fuck in the classroom."

The idea sprang to mind of them bent over a desk and he hastily pushed it away.

"I mean there's other ways of handling that anyway. Roleplay… costumes…" they were still looking completely embarrassed but he could see a smile spreading across their face at how pink he was becoming. They leaned in, putting a hand on one of his legs and looking up at him, "Sensei… will you teach me a thing or two?~"

OH? 

Where did Reader pull _ that _ voice from? Where did they pull that _ look _ from? He gave a small shriek of embarrassment and they laughed, leaning up and kissing him, "See?"

He just nodded behind his hand.

"Anything else?"

There was silence for a few moments.

"I…"

They looked at him with interest.

"I ah.."

They were beginning to look a touch amused, "You?"

He faltered, looking at them. Yes, they'd done this before but well, it may have been a heat of the moment sort of thing… not something they would be interested in repeating...

Suddenly they reached out, taking his hand, "Look… I _ loved _ the other night. _ Loved it. _ It was one of the best experiences of my life. I'm… well I'm a little surprised you're so shy about these things but… you can tell me what you want. It's okay."

Oh, they were so darling. So completely perfect.

He reached up with his free hand, grazing a finger across their lips.

They paused, then a devilish expression crossed their face. They reached up and gently took his finger into their mouth, sucking on it.

Ohhhhhhhhhhh that visual.

That _ sensation _.

He completely panicked.

"_ READER! _"

They looked a touch worried, sliding his finger from their mouth, "No? Is that not uh…" their face was bright red, "Shit, I'm sorry i-"

He caught his breath and gave their hand a squeeze, "No, no! I just… that… ah… _ yes _."

Their expression became devilish again, "So… you _ do _ have a thing for that. I kinda figured..."

He had been assassinated. Call off the project. Everyone could go home. He had died. 

He could only nod in response.

They laughed and suddenly hugged him. His heart was hammering away in his chest as he wrapped them in his arms.

"Good because that makes you make the _ best _ noises." 

He was dead.

They...they liked the sounds he made…

"Also that's like… really tame…" they smirked up at him, "I thought it was going to be something weird with all that build-up!"

He waved his tendrils in defense, "No! It's just…" what was it? They were right. Oral wasn't so strange but… "I…"

They sat back, pulling him against them. He relaxed. Not looking them in the face certainly helped right now. Their hand ran over his head and back lightly.

"I suppose it _ is _ tame… but...” he was quiet for a long moment, considering the best way to word it, “It’s an act that you don’t get any satisfaction from. It feels-”

They laughed, “Who said I don’t get anything from it?”

He froze.

They nuzzled him, their voice soft, “I get to hear you and see you and taste you… that’s really hot.”

THEY COULDN’T JUST SAY THINGS LIKE THAT!

He let out an alarmed shriek and they just laughed even harder, hugging him tightly.

He finally managed to look up, “But it feels too _ aggressive! _”

They gave him a dubious look, “I don’t think you even _ moved _ when I did that. Besides… what part of ‘I’m kind of a sub’ did you miss?”

He looked at them for a long moment. They didn’t understand….

“I mean I did tell you I’m not going to break...” they gave him a coy smile.

They could NOT tempt him like this it wasn’t fair.

He sat up, “Reader… I asked the tentacles to make me weak… but my skills could still be very damaging to you…”

“Damaging? I thought you said I had nothing to worry about.” 

“You don’t… not…” he took a moment, collecting his thoughts, “You don’t have to worry about my chemical composition harming you. But I could still hurt you by mistake!”

“You didn’t hurt me last night.” they sat up, their tone reassuring, “And you don’t generally make mistakes… I mean… okay so you did this morning but I think that was my fault.”

“I was being _ careful _ .” his voice softened, “I don’t _ ever _ want to hurt you...”

He’d hurt so many…

Even the one person he’d never intended to.

He didn’t want that to happen again….

Reaching out, they took his hands, “Hey, relax. We’re figuring this out together, yeah? It’s going to be fine.”

Together…

He took a breath.

This was new… it was bound to be intimidating but…

Last night had been wonderful. They were wonderful. And they were willing to work through this with him.

What had he ever done to deserve this?

They bit their lip, looking up at him, “Uh… I kinda have another question...”

What else could they ask?

“What is it?”

"Well, I noticed you kind of… well you get slick but… you don't seem to actually…"

OH.

OKAY WELL.

THEY CERTAINLY HAD QUESTIONS.

"No, I don't ejaculate if that's what you're asking. It's possible, I've just… ah... never wanted to deal with the mess."

"What if I dealt with it instead?"

** _WHAT?!_ **

WHAT?

Wait….

_ What?~ _

"Are you saying you'd _ like _ me to?"

Well, the scent of persimmons certainly seemed to indicate yes….

"I mean if you want to we could try it. We don't have to but… I mean…"

WELL, then Reader…

"That isn't what I asked.~"

They were having a meltdown.

So it was definitely something they were _ interested _ in.

"Kinda? I mean… I don't want you to think it's like… _ required _or something. It just seems like it might be hot…"

He chuckled, "I would be willing to try if you would."

Oh, that was adorable. They were just about to fling themselves behind the couch, he was sure of it.

Before they could do so, he lifted them, settling them onto his lap, "So what other questions do you have?"

They rubbed their face, "I kind of… want to _ see _ you… if it's alright. I mean I've seen the tentacles but not where they come from… Like for all I know you’ve got a beak down there or something."

WHAT?!

He lost his mind laughing, “A BEAK?”

They shot him a look, “WHAT?! YOU LOOK LIKE AN OCTOPUS!”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Reader but my anatomy is HARDLY like an octopus.”

“Well,_ duh _ but… I don’t know! Hell, I wasn’t even sure if you had ANYTHING until last night! Maybe that was why you had two toothbrushes!”

Two toothbrushes??

He was out of breath by this point, “WHAT?”

“MAYBE ONE WAS FOR THE BEAK!”

It took him several minutes to catch his breath. When he finally did he looked down at them.

They were pouting.

But he had a suggestion that he thought they might enjoy.

"If… you would like to _ see… _ ah…" he took a moment, "You… You did say you wanted to see… a solo intimate activity…"

Their eyes went wide and they nodded slowly.

"We could do that… if you like."

They nodded, their face bright with blush, "Yeah. I think I would."

This…

Oh, this would be interesting...

Their voice was soft but eager, "When?"

Now?

ASAP?

_ Immediately? _

No,_ no _, they had somewhere they needed to be today.

However...

"I… don't have plans this evening..."

They laughed a little, it was laced with bright nervous energy, "Okay well… your place or mine?"

"Perhaps mine would be for the best… we'd rather not disturb the neighbors a second time."

They froze, realization crossing their face.

Adorable…

Absolutely adorable…

Unfortunately, if they waited any longer they would be late.

“Now, we should get ready.”

“Get… ready?”

Well, well…

Last night certainly _ must _ have been memorable for them. They’d _ completely _ forgotten.

“Reader, opening ceremonies for the second term are today.”

“TODAY?!”

Absolute panic.

Also adorable.

They raced to get their things together, returning looking disheveled and anxious.

_ Wonderfully weak. _

_ Wonderfully flawed. _

_ Wonderfully vulnerable. _

_ Wonderfully real. _

He chuckled, “Let’s get going.”


	28. Naked (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Korosensei's POV of chapter 94 of Senbazuru.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/53264110)

When they were securely in his home he found all of his anxiety had risen again to the surface. How should this go? How would this work?

"Hey…" they caught his hand, "You sure you're good with this?"

He nodded.

They squeezed his hand and he found himself being lead up to his bedroom.

"How do we want to do this?" they smiled at him then paused, "Hey, pull out the futon okay?"

The futon! Yes!

That was something that should be done.

He went about laying it out and when he turne-

They were taking off their clothes!

"Reader!"

They laughed, wriggling out of their pants, "What? I figured It's less embarrassing if we're both naked… besides, um…" they approached him with a shy smile, "I… we did a lot last night but I kinda just want to feel you…"

They settled on the futon and patted the space next to them. They were sheepish, adorable, and-

The scent of persimmons was just…

Oh, they were lovely...

He quickly discarded his clothes and joined them.

They gave him a smile, "I figured we could… well… just sorta be together a bit? Let you get comfortable?"

"That… would be perfect."

They laid back, opening their arms for him.

He joined them and they curled against him. Gently, he pulled them close.

Their fingers trailed down his chest. Their legs tangled in his. They began to kiss along his neck and it…

Oh, why had he been so tense?

He relaxed instantly, sighing and drawing his hands up their back gently.

They laughed and he couldn’t help but join in. It made him giddy. Their presence, their lips on his, their hands on him.

They spoke softly, "Where do you like being touched?" 

Ohhh…

He answered honestly.

"By you?  _ Everywhere _ ."

They buried their face in his chest. He could feel the heat of their blush on his skin.

Adorable.

He kissed their head and their hands went back to caressing along his skin.

What heaven...

Their voice was faltering, shy, “You know… maybe after… I could show you what I do.”

OH.

_ O H? _

He looked at them, “Please?”

They laughed and nodded.

“So… how do you think we should do this? I mean, when you’re ready...”

Oh…

He hadn’t quite… thought of that just yet. There was a size difference to keep in mind here and-

“Well, ah… ”

“Like… it would kinda feel weird if I’m just sitting there staring at you?”

“I can agree with that...”

They tucked their chin over his shoulder, “What about the vanity?”

“Hm?”

“I could sit behind you and, well, we could use the mirror...”

That... 

That could work but that would…

Oh, it would be terrifying.

They kissed his cheek gently, “If it’s okay with you.”

“I think that would be best.”

Their lips were on his again. 

He quickly pulled the vanity over to an appropriate location. They noticed and nuzzled into his neck, “I love you...”

“And I you, Reader.”

They kissed along his neck again and he tipped his head back. Their kisses were firm, warm, a reminder of how their mouth felt…

One of their legs slid against his, brushing against the inner side and making him shudder.

He was never touched there which made the sensation all the more exhilarating. 

They stroked his cheek and gasped against his lips.

This was just…

“I’ve wanted this for a while now...” he murmured.

“Me too.”

They kissed him again, gently, “So… does this make up for being touch starved?”

He pulled them close.

If only they knew...

“ _ Exquisitely. _ ”

He buried his face in their shoulder, enjoying the scent, the smell of the woods in fall, spice, sweetness, persimmons...

Their lips made their way to his neck again and then down to his shoulder. One leg grazed his again, making him shiver.

“You okay?”

He managed a nod and their leg hooked around his, slowly making its way upward.

Ohhhhh that was…

Their skin touched the join of his legs and he stopped them.

“Reader...”

They paused and looked at him, curious. 

“I… if you…” he managed to catch his breath, “Reader, if you keep doing things like that we’ll never get to me showing you anything.”

They smirked, “What? Going to go off just from that?”

Oh god, they couldn’t say it like that...

“Not quite… but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to resist you.”

Their face flared red and the scent of persimmons flooded the air.

Their voice was soft, excited, “So… ready then?”

He nodded. They sat up, pulling a pillow over and sitting with their back against it. Their legs parted and they pulled him gently against them, his back to their front. He looped his arms over their knees, nervous.

"You're adorable," they kissed his head softly, "Relax, I already think you're hot. Even if you have a beak."

They… they thought he was hot.

Wait, _ a beak?! _

“I _ don’t _ have a beak!” he protested.

They nuzzled him, chuckling, “Yeah? Prove it.”

Oh…

Well, this  _ was _ what they were here for…

This was intimidating but their laughter and sweetness helped. 

He spread his legs, revealing the patch of pearlescent skin below.

Gingerly, he extended a tentacle from the area.

Reader's voice was filled with fascinated realization, "Ohhhh…. So that's how it works…"

He buried his face in his hands, "Yes."

“A little less dramatic than I expected.”

Less-

What??

“Less dramatic?”

They laughed softly, “Look, I don’t know. I wasn’t sure if you had them internally or like an opening or- wait…” they looked at him, Detective Face on, “Does that mean you can make openings too?”

He nodded, burying his face back in his hands.

Oh, he  _ ached _ with need. Showing them was mortifying, yes, but it was also incredibly arousing, knowing they were watching…

He allowed a portion of the space to sink in to form an entrance.

There was a note of awe in their voice, "Oh wow…" 

They really did find him hot...

A note of amusement entered their voice, "Have you ever used your tentacles on yourself then?"

He nodded.

He felt the heat of them against his back, the scent of persimmons thick in the air, "...could I see?"

He looked up and was rewarded with a kiss.

"If you're alright with that… of course..."

He gave a small nod, his breathing shaky.

He grazed the tentacle across his new entrance before sliding it in.

Closing his eyes he leaned back against them. 

God, that felt good…

And it was so… 

He shivered.

It was so vulnerable doing it this way. Exposed, laying back in their arms.

Their hands slid along his shoulders and chest. Their voice filled with warmth, "You're beautiful."

Slowly he began to thrust the tentacle into himself. He wasn’t able to hold back the sounds that spilled from him. It was warm, overwhelming, and they were here against him.

Watching him…

Touching him…

A kiss was pressed to his cheek, "Knowing how good you feel in me, I imagine this is pretty intense, feeling both sides of it..."

"It is…" 

Their hands were gliding across his chest, his body felt alive and electric. They were so warm…

"So, what do you think about like this?" their voice was soft, deeper, more sultry than before, "Being inside me?"

OH

" _ Reader! _ "

They nuzzled into his neck, their breath hot on his skin, "Pressing me up against a wall so I can't get away?"

Oh, that… that was…

Without thinking, he responded, "As if you even could."

It came out rougher than he intended and he froze, looking up at them.

Had that been too fa-

The look on their face was wide-eyed. It melted into a coy smile, "Not that I'd want to anyway…" they began to kiss along his cheek, "I like having your tentacles on me too much.~"

He hadn’t realized how much he wanted to hear that...

He shuddered, " _ Reader… _ "

"Hmmmm or maybe you like thinking about watching me~"

He tensed, his tentacles wrapping firmly around their legs. It was… the thought of them moving the way they had last night…

Their voice was warm and shivering when they spoke next, "Soooo you like the idea of watching me… watching me do what? Touch myself?"

Oh god.

"Reader!" He gasped, " _ Yes… _ "

He tightened the entrance he’d made just a bit. Reader had been tighter than this last night and it had been-

Oh yes, that was _ perfect. _

He sped up his actions right as Reader said something that could have  _ easily _ been an assassination attempt.

"What if I told you that the only thing I've thought about while doing that for  _ months _ now has been you?"

The thought of them getting off to daydreams of him was too much.

"Reader!" he cried out, his arms wrapped around their legs, his body shaking as he came. He didn’t stop his motions, it felt too good to stop now.

Their voice was filled with awe, their lips moving against his cheek, "You're gorgeous… Are you imagining my mouth there instead?"

Their mouth oh….

That warm suction, those eyes looking up at him-

He felt his body arch, a whine escaping him, "Reader… I…"

"Thinking about how nice it feels?"

Sharing his wants had been frightening but if this was the result he couldn’t say it wasn’t worth it…

They took one of his hands, drawing it up to their mouth. Their tongue, soft and warm ran across the sensitive pad of his finger before pulling it into their mouth. A visceral and sudden reminder of how good they felt.

“Reader… Ah… that-that-”

They slid his finger out of their mouth letting it rest against their lips before taking it back in.

It was too much. They were too much. He cried out, shaking as his body succumbed once again. He continued to pleasure himself for a few more moments, riding out the wave of sensation running through him.

Finally, he allowed the tentacle to slide out, flesh flattening back out into smooth skin. Everything was still sensitive, tender, and-

He saw himself in the mirror. Pink, breathless, their hands on him-

OH GOD.

He rolled and buried his face into their stomach. It was too mortifying to look at himself just after. That was too much.

They laughed and a warm hand caressed his head, “You okay?”

He struggled to catch his breath. To find words.

Their hands continued petting him, soothing him, “That was really hot.”

Hot?

They…

He was still accepting that this was something they enjoyed.

Tentacles wrapped around their waist of their own accord. He was shaking in the wake of everything.

“Man, you really  _ don’t _ handle dirty talk well, huh?”

Wha-

“You didn’t let me  _ prepare!” _

They laughed, a grin spreading across their face, “What do I need to warn you in advance that I’m going to tell you how much I want to have you insid-”

NO

He clapped a hand over their mouth.

That was TOO MUCH HE WOULD DIE.

They laughed behind his palm and reached up, running a hand along his cheek. He removed his hand from their mouth, cupping the warmth along his face.

“That was actually… really quick. I’m kind of surprised...” they were looking at him, curious.

With thoughts of them. With their presence. It was easy for it to be quick.

After so much wanting?

“Ah… well...”

“You usually go more than once, don’t you?”

THERE WAS THAT TOO.

He buried his face back into their stomach in alarm. They laughed.

“Hey, I’m not complaining. That is _ fantastic _ .” they returned to petting his head.

“It… it is, as you said, more intense that way… then, of course, you’re here and talking like  _ that! _ ”

They laughed, “You know you talked ‘like that’ too. Also, that reply about me not getting away was  _ nice. _ ”

OH GOD THAT'S RIGHT HE HAD SAID THAT

He shrieked.

“What? Oh my god, is this the whole ‘too serious’ thing again?” he nodded into their stomach in response and they only laughed harder, “Oh my god, relax… Jeez, I thought  _ I _ was wound up...”

They were wound up, hm?

Time for a bit of revenge.

Before they could react he switched places with them, securely nestling them against him facing the mirror.

Knowing they liked being handled in this way made it all the more exciting.

“Wha-”

He spoke low against their ear, “I do believe, you had something to show  _ me _ as well.”

They shivered, “Yeah...”

He produced a pair of tentacles, wrapping them around their legs, ensuring they stayed open.

The view in the mirror was lovely. Reader’s bare flesh and sex on display for him to enjoy. They’d gone quite bright with blush, their skin almost feverish with it. They looked aroused and nervous.

Perhaps a little guidance was in order…

After all… they did seem to enjoy it.

“Well, Reader? I’m waiting...”

They gave a shriek, covering their face.

Adorable.

He chuckled and kissed their cheek, “Well then, that does seem  _ quite  _ effective.~”

They leaned back against him, pouting, "Shut up."

He nuzzled into their neck, enjoying teasing them, "But why? I thought you said you liked my voice..." that earned him a shudder, "Perhaps you need a little help? You do seem very out of sorts…"

He allowed one of the tentacles around their thigh to shift closer to their sex. While he would love to touch them, that could come in time. Right now, taunting them was much,  _ much _ more interesting.

"Thought the whole point was for me to show you what I do…"

"Mmm well, I've left your hands  _ quite _ free and you still haven't made a move…" he paused for a moment, a thought coming to mind.

They had said they were a sub...

"Perhaps you were waiting for permission?" he let his voice slip a little deeper, "Or maybe a  _ command _ ?"

They whined in his grasp, "Please?"

Oh, that…

He was  _ absolutely _ going to use this against them any chance he got. This was too much, too tantalizing...

He nuzzled them, "Please, what? Remember, Reader, you need to ask clearly…"

Their voice was aching, broken, but in a way that only made him want to hear more, "Please, can I touch myself?"

Oh, he could do so much with this. Have them do things to earn the right. Command them to stop just before reaching…

God…

They were going to be  _ so much fun. _

But for now…

“ _ Yes _ ."

They slid their hands down their front, caressing their sex. They were whining, their body tense against him.

Beautiful...

"Absolutely stunning…" he kissed along their neck, drawing a moan from them.

Their legs tensed, trying to shift or close.

No… that  _ certainly _ wasn’t going to happen.

He kept his grip firm and they arched a little against him, their soft cries filled with need.

"Mmm…" he spoke against their ear, "How many times can  _ you _ manage, I wonder…"

They tipped their head to the side, an invitation he happily accepted. Kissing along their throat tenderly. They were so beautiful. So lovely.

They were  _ so much… _

They gasped and he felt their hands tremble, speeding up.

"You're absolutely enchanting like this, you know." He shivered, "Almost irresistible…"

And it was true. At this moment all he could think of was pinning them down, filling them, giving them what they wanted over and over until they were both too exhausted to move.

His tentacles inched closer to their sex.

But he resisted.

This was too much fun.

Perhaps…  _ after _ he enjoyed the show he could enjoy them.

They squirmed in his grasp and it was utterly delightful. Moans reverberated from them against his chest. He pressed a tendril to their throat, to their pulse points of their wrists. Their energy was frantic, exciting, charged with need.

They tried to bury their face against his chest.

That wouldn’t do…

"Now, now…"

He allowed the tendril pressed to their throat to glide up along the skin, tipping their head back so that they were looking up at him. Their eyes were wide and their breathing heavy.

"There's no reason to hide that loveliness…"

He kissed them softly and they whined, their body tensing in his grasp.

"Now Reader, you wouldn't be trying to get  _ away _ , would you?”

They shuddered, their motions intensifying, "N-No…"

He chuckled, "Good because I'm  _ quite _ enjoying the sounds you're making… Now… then… What is it _ you _ think about when you're doing this?”

Oh, the look on their face.

They hadn't expected to have the tables turned on them like this.

“Ah...”

He smirked, they were darling.

“W-well...”

He spoke against their ear softly, "Yes? I'm listening…~"

"You..." they gasped, trying to find words.

"Me?" he chuckled, "Really now? The mere concept of me is just too much for you? Well this must be  _ torture _ then. Unless of course there's more to that statement you're struggling with?"

They were overwhelmed but delightfully so from their expression.

Finally, they stumbled over their words, "You inside me… or touching me…"

Oh, how he planned to do both.

"Come now… Surely you can be more descriptive than that. You were quite eloquent when suggesting things to me, after all."

They whined, rocking their hips. He kept his grip tight so that their legs remained spread. They seemed thrilled by the struggle.

"Ah… you holding me d-down… making me beg…" 

Holding them down?

Making them beg…?

Oh, that was almost too much…

"What do I make you beg for?"

They were shaking, their words came out in a rush, "Tocome."

He chuckled, "I'm sorry, Reader, I didn't  _ quite _ catch that…"

"To come!" They stroked at their sex, their movements frantic with need, "Please, Sensei… please… "

_ S-sensei…? _

Ohhhh…

Well, their role-play suggestions took on a  _ whole new depth _ with that plea didn't it?

He wrapped tentacles around them further, restraining them.

He wanted to hear them.

_ Now _ .

He spoke against their neck, tone firm, commanding, "Come for me…" 

They were writhing, shaking, their body all heat and motion-

They cried out, arching back against him but unable to break free of his grasp. Their expression, the taut ache of their body...

They were gorgeous…

He kissed along their face, claiming their lips. They moaned against his mouth.

Physical pleasure had always been… fun before.

It had been enjoyable.

The same way as a good run.

Or a fine wine.

But this…

This was something entirely different.

Something far beyond simple enjoyment.

This…

This was heaven.

Finally, their movements slowed, then stopped, their body relaxing just a bit. 

They looked so _ incredibly _ satisfied...

Until they looked in the mirror. They immediately rolled, face pressed against his chest. He let them do so, releasing them.

Oh…

They curled in on themself.

Oh, dear, had he gone too far?

He brushed a hand through their damp hair, "Reader?"

They reached out, pulling the quilt over themself. 

Adorable…

He chuckled and held them close, "Are you alright?"

They nodded.

"And was that alright?"

Their hands covered their face.

Oh, dear-

They nodded again.

Oh… how utterly charming.

He had to tease them a little more...

"Soo...that's an  _ interesting _ title to use for me… would you say you might be  _ hot for teacher? _ '

They made a muffled scream and he laughed, kissing the top of their head.

There was a small noise from them, "I know it's probably weird-"

Well… perhaps one might think so but…

He chuckled, "Nonsense. You've told me you're  _ quite _ the sub. It's only  _ natural _ you might have a taste for authority figures. Though I admit after the way you handled me I had my doubts about your submissiveness…"

They sighed.

Poor thing.

He leaned down, kissing them softly, "That was beautiful."

They looked… sheepish, vulnerable…

Their energy felt erratic. He touched a tendril softly to their neck, "Reader?"

A sigh and shifting, "I'm okay it's just… those awkward feelings after…? You know… Because it's new…"

Oh, how he could relate…

He laid down curling his tentacles around them, it seemed to help them settle. They nuzzled into his chest.

"Thatwasreallygreat."

Cute.

He chuckled, "I didn't do anything."

"You did  _ plenty _ and you know it!"

They were so delightful when they were pouting, "I wonder how well you'll handle it when I'm a more…" he teased at their hip with a tendril, " _ active _ participant."

"Pretty sure I'm just going to die." They shivered, their voice muffled by his chest, "I practically died yesterday."

He laughed and nuzzled them. They were so lovely.

He was happy to be a mess with them.

Happy to know them.

Happy to love them…

"Heey…"

He looked down. They were smirking up looking a touch devilish.

"You normally go more than once…"

_ OH _

"Soooo what  _ else _ do you do?" 

That tone and expression…

He almost expected green stripes to cross their face.

"Ah-"

"I mean… you could  _ show _ me." Their tone was impish, "Isn't that what we're here to do?"

That… was true.

He nodded slowly, "Right…"

He had to admit, watching them had him ready for more...

He pulled back the blankets and parted his legs. This was a bit easier to show without the vanity…

Thank goodness.

He doubted he could handle seeing himself in it again.

He manifested two tentacles this time, looping one in a tight coil around the other.

"Ohhh…" they watched, curled up beside him as he began to thrust through it. 

He couldn't help but cry out. After watching them? It was a relief to take the edge off...

"Oh wow…" their words came with the strong scent of persimmons…

Their breath was hot against his neck, "Well I can think of a few  _ more _ things I'll be imagining while I touch myself now."

They-

They would…

_ Oh… _

They kissed his cheek, "You know… I'd show you what else I do but that would involve toys that I didn't bring with me…"

Oh.

OH!

He looked over at them.

He could  _ easily _ get the upper hand here once again. He held up a tentacle shaped like that  _ very _ interesting toy he'd found...

Their eyes flew wide open in shock and they sat up with a startled yelp, "Wh- How do you know about that?!"

SHIT WAIT

What had he been thinking?! They  _ didn't _ know he knew about that!

He sat up immediately, trying to explain, "I might have snooped around your apartment! I was just doing recon, making sure it was safe an-"

They looked beyond skeptical.

"Looking for my diary." 

"I had no intention of actually _ reading _ it I simply wanted to tease you by  _ knowing _ where it was and then I found  _ that _ !"

They covered their face, “Ohmygoooood...”

Oh…

Oh good, they were embarrassed…

_ This _ he could work with.

“I’m so sorry but-”

They peeked at him through their fingers and he leaned in with a grin, “Tell me, do you have that because of me?”

They shrieked, “No! A friend gave it to me as a gag gift before I moved here-”

A  _ likely _ story.

He leaned in closer, “Is that so?~”

“Yeah...” oh that was an adorable shade they were turning… “I might have started using it because of you though...”

Oh.

_ OH _

“SO, what ELSE did you get up to in my apartment while I was asleep?” they squinted at him.

“Nothing! I-”

Oh…

Oh dear, that was a lie…

He certainly  _ had _ done something in their apartment that night...

They narrowed their eyes, “What did you  _ do? _ ”

Oh, how was he ever going to explain?

“YouwerealotthenightofthenomikaisoIhadtohandlethings.”

“What does  _ that _ mean?”

He buried his face in his hands.

They were going to  _ hate _ him, “InmydefenseIhadbeendrinking.”

“Did you do something TO me?”

WHAT?!

“I would NEVER. Well… I kissed your forehead if that counts. But I just… ah...” he cleared his throat, “I- you are a tease when you’re drunk. I don't know if you’re aware…”

They were staring at him.

“You were quite… forward all night. I did a bit of recon in your apartment and saw… well… that and...” he took a breath, “Imighthavegottenoffonyourcouch.”

Their eyes went wide, “You WHAT?!”

Here it was.

He was about to be killed by a pacifist.

“I didn’t want to go back to BED with you like that!” he squirmed, that night had been  _ so  _ overwhelming, “You were… it was a lot and we’d both been drinking and-”

They buried their face in their hands, laughing, “Oh my fucking god…”

“And then your TIMING!” he groaned, rubbing at his face.

“What?”

“You ran out to throw up right as I- ah...”

“OH MY GOD!” they were hysterical now, falling to the floor laughing, “Nevermind, I can’t even be mad. That’s hilarious.”

Mortifying. It was MORTIFYING.

He hid his face in his hands.

They crawled over, leaning in, “Serves you right I think.”

Served him right???

Like they were so innocent!

“As if you getting off in the shower is any better?”

"To be fair at least it was in my own house."

"With company over." He gave them a pointed look.

They laughed, “Fuck we’re both a pair of hot messes.”

That laugh…

That smile.

Balm to his high strung soul.

“I think we can both agree on that...”

They nuzzled him, “So I have terrible timing hm?”

“You have  _ no _ idea.”

“What?”

He cleared his throat, “You ah… texted me in the middle of it once.”

They tried to stifle a laugh and failed, kissing him, “I’ve really just been  _ torturing _ you huh?”

He let out a shaky breath, “It’s been… a trial.”

“Well...” they kissed him again, their voice dipping lower, “Maybe I can make up for that...”

_ Please _ .

_ Oh, please do... _

Their hand ran along his chest and he shivered, reaching up to embrace them, “Perhaps this could be a  _ shared _ intimate activity instead?"

"I would love that…" they nuzzled him, their breath warm on his cheek.

Ohhhh what…

What would they be interested in doing?

"How far would you like for this to go?"

They kissed him again, laughing softly against his lips, "However far you'd like."

What?

But they couldn't just-

"But-" 

They stroked his cheek, "I'm okay. I promise. What would you like to do with me? After all… I kinda got to pick the first time…"

What would he-

They couldn't just  _ give _ him that freedom. That was too much. He didn't want to overwhelm them, to hurt them, to-

He froze, "Reader you can't just- I- I- I-"

They laughed and kissed him, this time soft and slow, "It’s okay. What do you want to do?"

His nerves settled but only a bit.

They were so good at that…

How were they so good at that?

"Ah, well…" he shifted, clearing his throat and trying to regain composure, "Ah…"

They looked up at him, smiling, brimming with readiness…

"I'm…" he took a breath, "I'm not sure where to begin…"

"Well… what do you like to imagine doing with me?"

How could he  _ remotely _ say it?

_ Any _ of it?

"You could always show me if saying it is too much."

That would be so much easier.

Gently, he eased them back onto the futon. They smiled up at him, breathless, beautiful…

How many times had he imagined them like this?

They frowned just slightly, "You okay, Cuddle Fish?"

He nodded, touching his forehead to theirs, "This has been something I've pictured many times, having you like this… and I'm just taking a moment to enjoy it."

They stared at him in surprise, embarrassment on their face.

He nuzzled them, "I love you so much…"

"I love you too…"

Now…

Time to see what lovely noises he could draw out of them.

He leaned down, kissing them and dragging tentacles and tendrils along their warm, supple flesh. Teasing, caressing, feeling them…

They bit back a moan, shivering.

As lovely as that was, he wanted something else right now…

He must have been staring because they spoke, "W-what?" 

He could do this…

He leaned in, kissing along the sensitive flesh of their throat, "Please… make _ all _ the noise you want…"

They whined, shuddering.

Oh yes… an  _ excellent _ start…

He ran his tongue lightly across their skin. That taste… salt and sweetness. He would love to know what other parts of them might taste like…

But there would be time for that later...

Their head tipped back, eyes closed. He stroked their cheek, trailing a hand down their side. They were delightfully warm. He ran a tentacle over their hair, caressed the shape of them. He wanted to commit every part of them to memory…

They moaned and he could feel the reverberation of it in his tentacles.

Oh, he wanted so much more of that.

He wanted…

They looked up at him, eyes loving and warm.

He knew  _ exactly _ what he wanted.

To hear that tone wrapped around the syllables of his name.

"Reader, please… say my name…"

They smiled and then kissed him softly, " _ Please… _ Korosensei…Touch me?"

_ Touch me _ .

Oh what a  _ request _

He shuddered and kissed them deeply, wrapping tentacles around their legs. They laughed, it was soft, nervous, and needy.

He conjured a sensitive tentacle and teased at their sex gently while kissing them. They felt divine.

They moaned against his mouth and he thought he might die.

God, the  _ sound _ of them…

What music could ever compare?

They wrapped their arms around him tightly.

Time to try something a bit… experimental…

In theory, it should work. After all, vibrators existed for a reason and he certainly could move fast enough to mimic the sensation. How it might feel, however… well… he wasn’t sure.

He ran the tentacle across their sex, vibrating it and-

He seized, whining against their shoulder.

He'd known the sensation would feel good but this was something else  _ entirely _ .

They trembled, "F-fuck…" they laughed softly, clearly breathless, "Mach 20 vibrations, huh?"

"Definitely not." He gasped, "That could actually harm you. Thi-this is-ah!"

They nuzzled against his cheek their shaking breath betraying their need, “Something gentler?”

He buried his face in their shoulder, nodding.

How could that feel so good? The friction of their sex on his was amazing.

"Sounds like it's a good time for you t-too." They kissed him, smirking.

Oh, that wasn't fair at all. They couldn't look like that while sounding like that, it was too tempting.

"Y-yes…" he brushed one sensitive tentacle against their entrance. 

The memory of how good they had felt last night came to mind. He resisted. They liked it to take time after all…

He did too but…

Oh, they were  _ such _ a temptation.

They moaned, their hips rocking and grinding against his tentacles. 

He clung to them, his face in their shoulder, trembling. It felt so good, so tantalizing, all he wanted was to plunge into them and-

They shivered, kissing along his cheek with a breathy moan, “Oh…  _ Korosensei… _ "

Their mouth around his name was almost as good as around his tentacles.

Their kisses came hot and fast. Desperate, hungry motions. It was overwhelming but he held them firm, letting his buzzing tentacle caress their sex. He dipped a tentacle down, brushing their entrance.

“That’s such a fucking  _ tease. _ ”

“As if you haven’t been teasing me for months.” he countered.

They laughed, gasping, “I d-didn’t mean to!”

“Well, perhaps,” he smirked, easing the tentacle off their sex so that it barely brushed it, “this is unintentional.”

“Bullshit.” they bucked their hips in desperation.

He laughed at first but their lips found his throat and oh it… it was so much.

Their cries and shudders were  _ so much _ …

He _ wanted  _ them.

He-

“Reader… I...”

“What is it, Cuddle Fish?” they reached up, pulling him in for a kiss.

Oh, their mouth was so soft…

“I’m not sure I can drag this out much longer...” his breathing was ragged, his body tense.

“L-little much, huh?”

He nodded.

He  _ needed _ to be inside them.

They laughed a little, “G-guess it’s a good thing we both like multiple rounds, hm?”

Oh, that-

He cried out and took them, thrusting inside. They gasped and moaned below him, their eyes wide. They rocked their hips as though they desperately wanted more.

They clung to him their voice broken and wavering, "Ohhhh fuck…" their breath was hot on his shoulder, "Yes… Please,  _ god _ don't stop…"

No need to worry about that. He had  _ no _ intention of doing so.

He kissed them firmly. When they parted he looked at them. They were a trembling mess and all he wanted was more. 

So,  _ so _ much more...

"If you keep making sounds like that I don't know if I'll be  _ able _ to stop."

Their voice pitched up, begging, "Then fucking don't!"

That plea sent him right over the edge.

Don’t stop. Oh god, he never wanted to stop.

"R-Reader!"

His grip on them tightened. They tipped their head back with a moan and he sped up. He wanted to feel them come.

He found the place that got the most reaction and zeroed in on it until they were shaking from sheer muscle fatigue. They clung to him, writhing but unable to escape his grasp, "K-Korosensei! Fuck! God, please. Cuddle Fish, I- I-"

They  _ screamed _ . Arching and spasming under him, clinging tight to something, anything to help ride out the feeling. He held them firmly, preventing their escape. Preventing that warmth and tightness from leaving him.

Oh, they were _ beautiful  _ like this. The sounds they made were music to his ears.

They felt so good. His body was still shaking, the tentacle inside them writhing on its own accord.

Every motion was pure pleasure…

He held them close, "Reader… Reader…" 

Their name…

Right now it may as well have been a prayer, a spell, a blessing.

A word that anchored him in this moment, this feeling.

He didn't stop but he slowed, they were trembling around him and it was an intoxicating feeling.

They looked up at him, trying to catch their breath, "I love you…" 

And that…

Those words…

He thickened the tentacle inside them and felt them shake.

"I love you too…"

They were overstimulated but he had a feeling…

"Now… I think you can go once more... "

They whined, biting their lip. Oh, what a sight…

He kept his motions gentle, soft kisses, tender caresses, and long lingering strokes.

It was heavenly.

He wanted to take an entire night with them just like this.

He wanted as many of these moments as they were willing to give.

The feeling of their excitement, their moans… it was  _ enchanting _ .

They clenched around him again with a gasping cry, body tensing, seizing him…

They were beautiful.

Beyond beautiful…

They were both panting, catching their breath. He was still inside them but they seemed content with that.

This…

The last time he had felt this connected to another human being there'd been a glass wall between them.

Oh, how he loved them…

He…

A thought struck him suddenly and his worry surged in full force.

Gently, he withdrew.

"Hey, what is it?" They were looking up at him, panting and smiling.

“I’m sorry, I should have asked if you were ready for me before ah-”

There was utter bafflement in their voice, "Before what?" 

"Before penetration…" 

They laughed, patting his cheek, “Trust me… you’re fine. You are way,  _ way _ more than fine. That was...” they were smiling up at him, "I guess I can't really keep saying the best sex of my life but… god damn..." 

THE BEST

Were they going to say that every time?

Was that the power of tentacles?

He kissed them gently, "You're certain?"

More laughter.

Adorable.

"Absolutely. I'd tell you if it was too much."

He hoped they held to that. He pulled them close, wrapping them in tentacles. They were so small in his grasp, so warm. The air was filled with fall sweetness and persimmons 

They drifted off in his arms, one hand wrapped in his.

He was lucky beyond belief.

Lucky beyond reason.

He brushed their hair back softly.

What a gift this year had been…

Waking was a quiet, lazy affair. He woke to shifting as they wriggled into a more comfortable position, one leg tangled in his, face buried in his shoulder, a hand over his heart.

What a treasure they were.

A mess of grief, loneliness, righteous anger, love, caring, and laughter. Someone who'd known death, who'd felt loss, pain…

He hoped his passing could be gentler on them.

Until then he planned to give them as many beautiful memories as possible.

They stirred and looked up at him. They were blushing, their hair a mess, creases of the blankets on their skin.

Oh, what a  _ darling _ .

"Hey…"

He kissed them gently.

They chuckled against his lips. A chuckle that escalated to all-out laughter.

What on Earth?

Had he broken them?

Oh no.

"What?"

They were cackling, gasping, "You _ lied! _ "

" What? Reader what are you-"

They grinned at him devilishly, "You can make anything from there right?"

They were pointing to-

Oh.

"In theory, yes…"

Where were they going with-

"So you, in theory, DO have a beak!"

WHAT?!

“IF I  _ CHOSE _ TO BUT THAT’S NOT THE DEFAULT SETTING!”

They were still laughing, “DEFAULT SETTING? YOU’RE AN OCTOPUS NOT A ROBOT!”

“WHY WOULD I MAKE A BEAK THERE ANYWAY?!”

They were hysterical at this point, gasping against his chest. It was the kind of laugh that a person devolves into. The sort that takes one over.

The last time he’d heard it from them was the night they’d confessed.

It was precious…

And also horrifying.

WHY WOULD HE HAVE A BEAK?

“Cosplay obviously, you’re already an octopus.” their eyes suddenly went wide and laughter overtook them again, “OH MY GOD. ITS NOT THERE BUT IT COULD BE!” they sat up, pointing at him, triumphant, “IT’S SCHRÖDINGER’S BEAK!”

“That is a grossly incorrect usage of quantum mechanics.”

“Of course you would say that. You have Schrödinger’s beak!” they smirked.

What a ridiculous-

He grabbed them, pulling them over and tickling them, “IS THAT SO?” 

They shrieked, laughing and tried to get away. He wrapped them tightly, holding them up to his face. They were still laughing, shaking their head, “Stop!”

He pulled the tentacles wriggling at their sides away.

“Well, do I have a beak?”

“I mean in thero-” they were cut off by peals of laughter as he started tickling them again, “OKAY, OKAY, YOU DON’T HAVE A BEAK! I GIVE!”

He chuckled, holding them closer and kissing them softly, “Now was that so hard?”

They gave him a small glare but they couldn’t summon any malice to it. He released them gently. They flopped back on the futon with a sigh, “You don’t play fair.”

“Would you if you were in my position?” he chuckled.

“Probably not.” they propped their head up on one hand, “But still.”

He leaned in, nuzzling them gently, “I like to think I’m quite fair where it counts.”

“Hmmmm… I guess that’s true.” they kissed him.

He ran a hand along their back lightly.

There was a content sigh and they buried their face in the pillows, “Starting to think you just fucked people to death because that was amazing...”

OH.

“Never.” he chuckled, “But I’m quite glad to be considered your best...”

They looked over at him, eyes warm, “It’s the best because it’s with you.”

Cute, but-

“Well, now, that’s a bit of a mistruth. Are you certain my tentacles have nothing to do with it?”

They laughed, “Sure, they do! But, like I said before...” they put their hand over his heart, “I fell in love with  _ you _ . If something happened and you went back to just being a normal person I'd still love  _ you _ . The tentacles are just the icing on the cake at this point.”

…

He pulled them close, kissing them.

What on Earth had he ever done to deserve this?

They gave a happy sigh, holding him close.

He didn’t have words.

Words rarely ever failed him, but here and now they did.

What could he tell them? How could he sum up what they meant to him?

His voice was hushed when he spoke next, “I…” he laughed just a bit, tears swimming in his eyes, “Reader, I am beyond words...” he kissed them again, “I love you.”

They wiped at his tears with a smile, “I love you too, Cuddle Fish.”

They sighed, “Guess we should probably sleep.”

Sleep… yes that would be a good idea.

“I imagine tomorrow will be interesting.”

They leaned against him, warm and soft, “Yeah and I think we both need the rest.”

“Mn…” it was true but… “but first, perhaps we should… clean up?”

They sat up and he could feel their skin peel away from his.

A rinse was definitely in order at the very least.

“Uh… yeah, that  _ might _ be a good idea…”

As they went to shower he set about cleaning the room with a quick jaunt downstairs to wipe himself down as well. By the time they came back into the room it was tidy and clean. He was waiting under the blankets for them.

They joined him with a tired smile. All fall spice and sweetness. He pulled them close, burying his face in their shoulder.

The new semester was proving to be even more interesting than he expected.

And he intended to enjoy every minute of it.


	29. A Pick Me Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion chapter to [Chapter 100 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/54565555).

A hand was softly running through his hair.

Wait...

Hair?

He opened his eyes.

_ Aguri. _

She was smiling down at him, kissing him. 

"I told you." 

"Told me what?"

"That you would find people worth dying for."

His heart ached, he reached up, cupping her face, "The trouble is, they're worth living for too."

She smiled and kissed his nose, "Of course. That's how love works."

Oh, she was warmth. Warmth, summer, and citrus. He held her tightly...

He didn't want to let go...

"Mn... Ey… Hey..." 

She struggled in his grasp and he let go in surprise-

Autumn woods.

Fall spice.

Sweetness.

Reader was looking at him sleepily, smiling, "I get I'm like teddy bear sized compared to you but you were crushing me, Cuddle Fish."

Dreams...

He gathered them close, nuzzling them. Arms encircled him.

"Hey... You okay?"

He simply held them tighter.

A hand ran along his head, their lips on his cheek.

Emotions roiled in his chest and before he could stop it tears welled in his eyes. 

"Shhhh..." Whispered comforts, warm breath on his cheek, “I’m here… It's okay, I'm here."

Soft kisses were pressed along his cheek.

“A dream?” their voice was gentle.

He managed a nod, tears still running down his face, slowly soaking their shirt and the blankets, “I’m sorry, this is ridiculous...”

He was emotional at the best of times but this…

Why couldn’t he get a handle on it with them?

It couldn’t be a happy reminder to them...

They chuckled, kissing along his cheek, “You might be unkillable but you’re not impervious to nightmares...”

Night-

Nightmares…

He shook his head, “It wasn’t a nightmare...”

“What was it?” 

Oh…

How did he even begin?

Should he tell them?

There was a long silence but then something brought him to speak.

“It was about Aguri...”

There was a stutter to their breath and they cradled him closer.

Their tone was overwhelmingly tender, “Oh… oh, honey...”

Oh, this was ridiculous…

It was their last night together he shouldn’t be-

“I know that she’s gone but...” he began to sit up, reaching out for tissues, “I’m sorry this isn’t… this isn’t what tonight should be about...”

They sat up, reaching over to him, their voice concerned, “Hey what does that mean?”

“If this is, in fact, our last night together… spending it crying over someone else-”

A hand clapped to his mouth and he made a sound of surprise.

Wha-

“No. I already told you, I want all of it. I want to know all of you...”

" _ Is  _ this a suitable last night together?" He asked.

It came out harsher than he intended.

Oh, he hoped he hadn’t made it worse…

"I…" they seemed to be processing for a moment, then took a breath, "No."

Of course not.

He was glad they understood-

"I don't think any 'last night' with you could leave me satisfied…” they continued, “I don't want to lose you…"

A knot bunched in his chest, a cold knot of pain.

"Oh, Reader…"

They wiped at their eyes, "I know it's going to happen. I just…"

"Hope it's not soon." he finished for them softly.

How… 

How were they so accepting of this...

"And before you say anything!" their voice pitched up, "I don't regret this. I could never regret this or you or this year."

Oh…

They…

How could they ever think they were broken?

He held them tightly, tears beginning to run down his face again.

He hoped that the loss of him wouldn’t break them.

That they wouldn’t fall apart in his absence.

He never wanted them to lose that shine.

That laugh.

That look...

"If… if it does come out tomorrow…" their hand ran along his back gently, "If anything happens… I want you to know I love you. I love you so much…”

He held on tighter.

He didn’t want to let go...

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to start up the waterworks again…” they began to kiss along his cheek. He reached up, wiping at his face with a tissue.

"Come on you’re gonna make  _ me  _ cry." they nuzzled him, giving him a smile.

He couldn’t bring himself to speak. His voice would crack. It would only start up anew-

“I know what you need.” lips pressed to his lightly, Reader’s tone had taken on an assured quality, “I know what we both need.”

They vanished into the kitchen. He focused on drying up his face, breathing slowly.

He’d been prepared for the end…

Until them…

Prepared to go. Ready to, even.

But now…

He didn’t want to let go.

Oh…

What was he going to do about this?

They reappeared a moment later, offering him a steaming mug of hot cocoa.

“A pick me up?”

He accepted it and they sat next to him, opening up a box of cookies and offering it up to him.

They worried.

They worried so much.

And they cared and-

He chuckled, taking a cookie.

“What?” they pulled a cookie from the box, looking up at him.

“And you think that you don’t take care of me...”

They were suddenly very interested in their drink. He looped a tentacle around their waist, “Thank you...”

They leaned against him, taking a bite of a cookie, “You’re welcome...” there was a pause and they chuckled, “We really do just trade-off on this crying thing huh?”

Their laugh drew out his own, “It does seem that way.”

“Guess what’s what you do when you don’t have therapy.” they waved a cookie at him with a smirk, “That and these.”

He chuckled.

It was so good to hear them laugh… to see them smile...

They both sipped their drinks in silence enjoying the quiet company of one another.

“Did you want to talk about it?” their voice was soft, almost hesitant.

“Hm?” he looked down at them.

“Your dream.”

Oh…

Well, of course, they might be curious…

He took a breath, “I was holding her but I knew… I knew I’d have to let go.”

He’d had to withdraw. Leave her in that ruined place. Her blood pooled across the floor.

_ Metal. Citrus. Summer. Blood. _

A hand came to rest on his arm, tugging him back from his memories.

“...you know… if you’re with me, you don’t have to let her go. I… I noticed you kinda only have one photo of her up at your place and I mean it’s in a room by itself. I don’t want you to think you have to hide her away...”

Oh, how darling of them...

“That’s not it. I,” he took a breath, “It’s been too painful… my last memory of her, it’s...”

“Her dying…?”

_ “I’ve killed you.” _

_ “Of course not. I made a choice… that’s all… and I don’t mind… being killed by you. Because you’re worth dying for. I’m sure you’ll meet someone you feel that way about too someday.” _

He nodded slowly.

“I think that might be a good reason to put up photos of her.” they spoke carefully.

What-

“Hm?”

“Well… you remember her as she was at the end but… I mean she posted a lot of photos online, especially during the last year. And she’s happy in so many of them. Maybe it would be better to have reminders of her during those times? Something to help you remember the better parts?” they were glancing up at him hesitantly as if they might offend.

“You wouldn’t mind that?”

To his surprise, they laughed, “I’ve told you… I’ve visited her, I’ve read up on her online… I can see why you loved her. You didn’t lose her that long ago. I know you’re still grieving.”

Their hand squeezed his arm and he touched it gently.

How?

How were they so…

_ "The trouble is, they're worth living for too." _

_ "Of course. That's how love works." _

“Thank you...”

In the quiet, they simply shared a look.

They were so wonderful…

Wonderfully flawed.

Wonderfully real…

Their voice was tentatively hopeful, “Let’s hope she’s looking out for us tomorrow, huh?”

He chuckled a bit, “Yes...”

Drinks and cookies finished, they pulled him down to the blankets, curling up against him. Their kiss tasted of chocolate and matcha.

All perfumed in the scent of autumn, fall woods, and spice.

They smelled like home…

Tomorrow could be trouble.

But tonight…

Tonight he was home.


	30. Fetching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korosensei's POV of [chapter 110 of Senbazuru](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787860/chapters/57600871).

After dinner, they washed dishes while he dried. It was calm, affirming, settling a low level of nervousness he’d noticed building even since he had changed into a dress.

It was ridiculous really.

He had never been one to limit his clothing by gender roles and on top of that his day to day uniform was a robe! A dress in all but name!

But that didn’t stop him from noticing the way Reader’s eyes drifted to him and the resurgence of that look they had when they were puzzling something out.

Normally he’d find it charming.

But tonight that was tempered with a measure of anxiety.

Best to address it.

“Yes?”

He looked up in surprise, “Huh?”

“You’re staring.” he chuckled, “With your Detective Face no less.”

“Oh, just… the dress.” their voice was soft, open, and curious.

Their scent didn’t show any sign of apprehension…

Best to handle it as usual.

He gave them a swirl, “I think I look quite fetching!”

He expected a roll of the eyes, a scoff or joke but…

“I think so too.”

Oh…

They…

He shook off the surprise quickly, " _ Soooo _ , you think I'm pretty?~” he leaned in, green stripes on his face, “I'll have to inform Irina, she's going to lose a bet."

They chuckled.

Good.

Laughing was safe-

Their hand enclosed his, “I always think you’re beautiful...”

His breath caught and he felt his face flare with a blush. Their smile remained, fond, open, and sweet.

They let their hand slip from his and made their way over to the kotatsu, settling in, "It is a little surprising."

What… did he say to this? 

His instincts screamed to run, to get away, not to reveal too much…

But… this was Reader.

He took a seat beside them.

"Well... You dress as a girl a lot…” they sipped their tea, “But not so much around me."

He chuckled, "Ah... That. Well…” he scratched at his head, “It was a common tactic as an assassin, disguises are quite useful- particularly unexpected ones! I suppose I developed a bit of a taste for it..."

"A taste?" they tipped their head, curious.

Oh…

Well… perhaps it would be best to pull off this bandage now…

"Well, as I said before... In this form I feel gender is quite rather beside the point." he took a breath, measuring his next words carefully, "Is this... something that  _ concerns _ you, Reader?"

Confusion painted their features and marred their scent.

They laughed, “No, why?”

"You seem rather curious..."

They gave him a smile.

Oh, that smile…

"Well yeah, I'm kinda in love with you, remember?"

Love was all well and good but…

“Yes but… well… as you recall, people leave one another for less.”

They smirked up at him, “Good luck getting rid of me.”

Their hand found his.

This was…

Did they understand?

He wasn’t sure if they did or not...

It had never been a question when he was young.

He'd been born. A son. An unwanted child.

His family hadn't given him the care they should have. Certainly not the proper ceremonies or life events he should have had.

Other children had those things.

Wanted children had those things.

He lived like a ghost of his parents' mistakes, keeping out of their way as best he could.

Chastised for taking food, for taking up space, for being born at all.

The one gift they gave him, however, was the greatest gift he'd ever received. A gift hard-won by surviving many a threat and beating.

They taught him to  _ read _ .

It was in their own interest. A child who could read and count could run errands and fetch things more readily.

This tool they had given him, however, he began to turn to his own devices.

He began to _ learn _ .

There had always been a hollow emptiness but now he had something with which he could fill it.

Knowledge.

He had been starving for years.

And now he went after knowledge like a street dog after scraps.

He read every meager thing in his family's home. He raided the trash for any text he could find. He stole books and magazines.

And then he was sold.

Micah's shop had been a veritable feast of information. New skills, new texts, new knowledge.

He collected it all in himself.

In a world where one was unwanted one couldn't expect to own physical things. So he kept them in his mind instead where no one could take them from him.

He had killed Micah the first time it had been favorable to do so. And then... He was free.

But freedom came with a price.

No shelter, no steady flow of food, and no new knowledge.

_ Unacceptable. _

He started squatting in buildings, begging, and doing odd jobs for money.

As a boy, he took odd jobs. No one looked twice at him.

As a girl, he was given better food when begging. He made a little more.

Especially if he said his mother was sick or dead or missing.

And so, he took the role that would net him the most gain based on what job he was doing that day. The role that manipulated the other person's expectations best.

And he was  _ alarmingly _ good at it.

In four short years, he became known by others for his light fingers, sharp wits, and brutal nature. 

And then, one day, a boy came to him.

A boy far larger than he was and far more intimidating.

The boy offered him money. More money than he'd ever had in exchange for one thing.

He was to kill the boy's father.

There was a story attached of abuse, alcohol, and anger. The boy would do it himself but he could not afford the risk of being caught.

Micah had died easily enough by his hand, but Micah had been old and unsuspecting.

He pumped the boy for information.

Which was how he came to be a maid in the boy's house.

It only took a week before the opportunity presented itself.

When the deed was done and staged as a break-in, he left with his money.

Killing had been easy. The human body was so fragile, it was frighteningly easy to end a life.

What an interesting business venture... An unwanted taking out other unwanteds.

He was known, at the time, by many titles. The Bookkeeper, the Student, the Ghost... He never gave a name. He found his clients or left them with appropriate information to locate him.

Many roles, many faces, many masks.

The gender behind them did not matter.

He'd taken to dressing ambiguously so he could change presentation at a moment's notice.

But in all that time it had never occurred to him that it was part of something deeper. It had always been a tool...

Until the moment it wasn't.

"Do you want to be called anything else?"

Their voice shook him out of his memories.

“What do you mean?”

“He, she, they?” they shrugged, “A different name?”

Oh…

The storm of fight or flight in his mind quieted.

They understood.

They  _ understood _ .

He took a moment, considering the offer before responding, He suits me just fine. I…” a note of alarm raised in him. Saying it would make it real. Not just to him, but to another. To the outside world…

They looked up at him, expectant, open. Their scent filled with fall spice and sweet fondness…

“I would not object to being called Koroko from time to time."

They smiled and took his hand, pressing a kiss to it, “Can do, Cuddle Fish.”

Gently, he tipped their face up to his and kissed them.

They touched their forehead to his, “I love you no matter what you're called or what you've done, remember?"

He let out a breath he hadn’t remembered holding and pulled them close, "Thank you for that..."

They leaned into him and, after a moment, looked up, “Did you want to talk about it? Like… do you have a word for it?”

“A word?”

They gave a shrug, “Yeah like… I mean, what you feel like or how you see yourself?”

He paused, considering, "There are many ways to say what I feel. Androgyne, nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid... perhaps? Gender, to me, has always simply been another role. Another part to play or costume to don.” he gestured with a hand as he spoke, “It's fascinating. Learning how others view the topic and the words people use for themselves has been eye-opening. I don't know what word I would use for myself, per se, but I know that my research has settled the feelings I had on the topic.”

He hadn't noticed until after his transformation. His disguises, in general, did not work as well as they should despite his insistence otherwise. He had come to find, however, a certain relief in switching his role from time to time. Being someone else for a while. Male, female, having the option gave him a sense of peace and normalcy now.

He played it for laughs with his students but the behavior extended to his downtime as well.

And then Reader came along.

And for once in his life, he worried what someone else might think of this.

He played it off as quirky and goofy with everyone else but Reader…

Well...

They had a tendency to see right through him.

And they had.

And they loved him all the same.

What had he ever done to deserve this?

“But you weren’t sure about me...” they ventured.

He gave a small nod.

Oh, he hoped that didn’t offend-

“You can tell me anything.” they reached up, cupping his cheek with a hand, “Okay?”

Anything…

The lives he’d ended? The dying words of broken men? The rightness he felt in a job well done? The perfect sensation of a knife as it slid between ribs?

He clasped their hand, “Reader… There’s… there’s so much that seems…  _ too _ much to tell you.”

They kissed him, “I can take it. Have you seen what I’ve dealt with this year?” there was humor in their voice but their scent was tempered with pangs of worry, “I love you and if there’s things you need to say, say them. If there’s things you want, ask.” they took a breath, their tone dropping, “We don’t have a lot of time together. I want to make the most of it. Not just for me, but for you too.”

It was so much…

But they were right.

He sighed, “Alright.”

They thrust out their hand, pinky extended.

He chuckled and linked a finger in theirs.

How was he going to keep this promise?

As they pulled away, they yawned, “Ready for bed? I don’t know about you but after the last two days I’m wiped.”

“Of course.” he pressed a kiss to their cheek, “I’ll be up in a moment.”

There was a note of confusion on their face but they rose, heading upstairs.

It took no time to whip up what he had in mind. He’d worn it often enough on his own. Pale pink silk with white trim.

A nightgown.

A nightgown that was giving him a ridiculous amount of anxiety.

He slipped it on, steeled himself, and made his way upstairs.

They were already under the blankets and peeked out at him as he entered the room.

Their face broke into a smile, “That looks great on you.”

His skin went pink, betraying him, “Thank you...”

They held out their arms to him and he joined them, overwhelmingly embarrassed even with the acceptance. They pulled him close, pressing his head to their heart. The beat was steady and calm.

A kiss was pressed to his head, "I love you, Koroko."

A rush went through him and he buried his face into their chest, feeling his face burn.

They chuckled, “All good?”

He managed a nod and felt himself held close, “You’re darling.”

…

It… it was so much.

Everything he confessed. Everything he told them.

They simply accepted it.

Accepted him.

Without the need for a mask or role.

He could just… be.

“Hey… hey, you sure you’re okay?” their tone held a note of concern.

He nodded.

“It’s… I didn’t expect this to come up,” he confessed.

“Why not?”

Why not??

“Because!” he looked up at them in surprise, “I’m quirky! Everyone knows that! I wear costumes all the time! I’m a loveable scamp! I’m  _ Korosensei, _ it's what I do!”

“Didn’t expect anyone to ask questions huh?~” they teased, a smirk playing across their features.

Oh…

“Honestly… no.” he paused, considering that, “Not… in a serious fashion.”

They ran a hand over his head, “You didn’t count on me being curious.”

Or understanding…

A terrible miscalculation on his part.

“I should have known with that Detective Face of yours.”

“Just call me Sherlock I guess,” they smirked.

Sherlock, ah yes, the default detective.

“Sherlock was a fantastic creation but I always much preferred Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot.” 

They gave him a look, “That suits you.”

He chuckled, nuzzling them, “I’d much rather simply call you Reader though.”

“Good.” they laughed, “I’m not sure I want to be a Sherlock or Poirot.”

“I could always pick up from the students instead.” he grinned up at them, “Perhaps I should call you Doc too?”

They laughed in the most exasperated way, “Oh god no. That just seems… weird.”

“Reader it is then.” he smirked, “Unless you’d rather be Takoyaki.”

They looked at him, stone-faced, “Get out of bed.”

He ignored the command, hugging them closer, “You could be my little Takoyaki!”

They groaned, “This is as bad as consentacles.”

“Also an excellent contender!” he laughed.

They gave a dramatic sigh, “Greaaaat.”

But he could tell from their voice that they were enjoying themself.

After a bit more teasing, he reached out to shut off the light, pulling them close.

For the first time in his life, the Reaper felt safe enough to simply… be.

And for tonight, sleep came easy.


End file.
